Stellaris Book 1: The Fledging
by Stormhawk fan SHhype
Summary: "The Galaxy is a dangerous place Shepard." - Nilus, Council Spectre, Mass Effect. Indeed, so what might happen if we created a Galaxy, complete with a plethora of civilizations, and added in the Storm Hawks. Well, you're about to find out, welcome to a new story, where we follow our favourite Storm Hawk characters on a new journey, unlike any other. Storm Hawk AU with ME/Stellaris
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely cause I want it to, Additionally, credit to cover image goes to Mythorie over on Deviant Art, your awesome mate  
**

 **HELLO DEAR READERS, I'M BACK!  
**

 **Okay, so, confession time, I've had a BAD several months as far as writing goes, particularly for 'Storm and the Hawk', I've either not had the time, or motivation to pick it up. I want to be clear though, I'm NOT abandoning it, it's just going to take longer than I speculated to complete**

 **My apologies to those waiting on the next chapter, but it's going to be a while longer**

 **Meanwhile, my mind - treacherous thing that it is - hasn't stopped rattling off ideas for new stories, at a ridiculous rate. I resisted the urge to start something new for as long as possible, but it was a battle I eventually lost, 'Storm and the Hawk' was going nowhere, and it didn't feel good leaving you guys with nothing**

 **So, here we are, with a new story. This one is a little different than my previous stories, and I may be bending the rules to breaking point with this one as technically it IS a crossover. The reasons I haven't posted it as a crossover story however are as follows**

 **1\. The main Characters are our lovable Storm Hawks that we all know and adore**

 **2\. I wasn't sure how many Storm Hawk fans would know, or even be interested in what the second main theme/setting of this story is, so I felt it easier to post it on the Storm Hawks page and give you guys directions to the wiki's you need to educate yourselves**

 **The first is this: Stellaris_Wiki**

 **The second is this: wiki/Mass_Effect_Wiki**

 **Go here and you'll find all the info you need**

 **I will however give you some context to get you started**

 **Stellaris is a computer game by Paradox Interactive that involves you - the player - taking control of one of a plethora of different races in the quest to become the dominant race in the galaxy, whether that's through forming a federal alliance, colonization, or just conquering all of your neighbors and have them bow down to your superior might**

 **Mass Effect is another computer game (though I believe it is also available on console), that takes place in space. This one however is an RPG where you the player, take on the role of Commander Sheppard of the Terran Alliance, and are placed on a path to save the entire frigging galaxy and everyone in it.**

 **Heavy stuff right**

 **Well, this story takes place in a strange fusion of both these universes, and has pulled our favorite Storm Hawk's characters along for the ride. They'll be elements and rules from both universes (don't worry I won't break anything by putting incompatible elements together... _much, hahahaa_ ), as well as characters, and even races from other great Sci-Fi stuff **

**Finally, this is going to be the start of Book 1 of this series, that's right, you heard me correctly, BOOK 1, I doubt I'll ever be truly done with this one, but it does mean I will have something to do, whenever I'm having a dry spell on one of my other stories**

 **So I think that's everything - oh wait, one last thing**

 **WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS THEMES OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND SLAVERY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR PREVIOUS PAGE**

 **For those of you who are staying... _WELCOME TO MY-_**

 **No no, done that joke already, let's just roll this thing shall we**

 **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, welcome to... Stellaris, Book 1, enjoy (bows and exits stage right)**

 _ **Blurb:**_

 **On the planet of Atmos, the Telani people prepare for their annual tradition known as the Fledging, a journey undertaken by Telani about to enter adulthood. On this journey we follow a group of young Telani – Piper, Aerrow, Finn and their older peer, Dove – excited to begin their Fledging. However, unbeknownst to them, they have an unexpected guest, a Human, called Lark Cyclonis, secretly visiting their planet, studying their people and culture**

 **Together they depart on the Fledging, all the while unaware of the shadow that looms over Atmos, and is due to strike again. When it does, the youngsters are flung into a Galaxy of danger, meeting new people, both friends, and enemies, and reuniting with long lost loved ones. The young Telani of Atmos are about to find out, that their world is so much bigger than they could have possibly imagined**

* * *

 _ **Stellaris**_

 ** _Chapter 1: The Fledging_**

"Observation log 1, date, Monday the 25th of June, time, 7:42am. Current location, Observation Pod 4, on the surface of the planet Atmos, in the Eggellen Prime system, my name is Lieutenant Lark Cyclonis of the United Nations of Earth Navy, currently under the command of Professor Torrens of the Alpha Centauri Prime Academy."

Lark glanced again at the external cameras as she spoke into the recorder, there were no native inhabitants about, and probably wouldn't be for the next 20 minutes or so, Telani were slow risers, odd considering their family connection

"My team and I have been on this observation mission for the better part of six months now, and despite a plethora of evidence that these people are ready for first contact, Professor Torrens still refuses to send a request to the Academy, the UNE, _or_ the Galactic Council, insisting that _more_ evidence is required."

Lark paused here as she once again checked her equipment; she wanted to make sure she was prepared for absolutely anything

"As such," Lark continued, "I have taken it upon myself to perform an in-depth study of perhaps the most important and revered tradition of the Telani people, the Fledging. This tradition occurs once a year, every year and is a rite of passage of sorts for the young adults in the native population."

Lark glanced at the notes she'd already made to ensure her information was accurate, "According to previous, _distanced_ studies, the Telani young adults go out into the few remaining wilderness areas on their planet, and spend a full month out there, with no adult supervision or interference, what so ever."

Lark quietly muttered 'lucky' to herself, remembering how difficult it had been for her to even get her parents to let her go to the Academy at just 11 years of age, and then later accompany her favourite Professor on this observation mission. She then cleared her throat and continued

"This is as much a test for the parents as it is their children, the time apart makes both sides appreciate that which they have. It also gives valuable life experience to the participants of the Fledging, as well as survival skills, which they learn both during the Fledging, and during their preparation years for it."

Lark had the scanners do one final sweep of the area to check for life signs, it would be just her luck to be spotted by a native and throw the entire mission into the trash can

"It is my belief, that when the Academy sees an up close study of the Fledging, and its benefits on this society, along with the other evidence I've gathered, that they will approve a first contact scenario. These people are on the cusp of rising to the galactic stage as it is, and if it is handled poorly, by us or them, the results could be disastrous, and possibly lead to the extinction of the Telani species."

Lark made one final check of her equipment, satisfied that she had everything, she prepped her cloaking field, and readied to leave the pod. "If you see this after I beam it back to the station Torrens, know that _you_ pushed me to this, these people deserve the best chance we can give them, and you're ignoring them, I'm sorry Professor, but in honour of my Grandmother's memory, I cannot just sit by anymore."

With that, Lark hit the end button on the recorder and beamed her first log back to the cloaked station, sitting behind Atmos' largest moon. Then, she climbed out of the pod, emerging onto the top of a small rock formation on the outskirts of a large settlement, taking a breath; she activated her cloaking device and closed the door to the pod with a flick of her hand, her form seamlessly blending in with her surroundings

* * *

A few minutes after Lark had left, the Com-Terminal began flashing, it did this for about a minute, before the system put the call onto the answering machine, and a robotic voice filled the pod

" **You're call cannot be taken at the moment, please leave a message after the beep."**

 **Beep**

"Lark, its Torrens, come in Lark, do you read me, Lark whatever you do, _don't_ leave that pod, do you copy Lark, Lark! Come in god damn it! Lark, LARK!"

* * *

 _City of Atmosia, 8:00am_

The alarm clock began buzzing in Piper's ear as the second hand ticked to eight, the moment the first chirps filled the room, Piper shot from her bed, throwing her blanket off and dashing straight for the clothes that she had prepared the previous night

Today was the day, the day of her Fledging; she'd been waiting four years for this day

As she dressed she glanced at herself in the mirror, she was a slim girl, with a light build just beginning to flower into womanhood at the age of 15, going on 16. She shared her mother's chocolate coloured skin and blue tinted raven locks, her hair colour carried to the feathers of her wings as well, lustrous, shimmering blue feathers that had had every boy in her year staring at her whenever she walked past

She had her father's eyes though, a pair of dazzling amber orbs that sparkled in the sunlight. Their brightness seemed enhanced today in the dawn sun; she could hardly contain her excitement. There was a small amount of fear though, four years ago, her older sister Starling had departed on her Fledging, she had not returned. Starling – along with many others – had disappeared four years ago, this had been the same pattern throughout living memory, every four years, people would disappear during the Fledging

It happened like clockwork, so why did the Fledgings still happen on these cursed years. Some believed that maybe one day, no one would disappear, others were more traditional, believing that if a Fledging was ever missed, the Spirits would bring down an awful punishment upon them

As for Piper, she knew her parents didn't want her to go; she was young enough that she _could_ afford to wait a year, but she didn't want to, and ultimately, it was _Piper's_ choice of when she took the Fledging. So _why_ did she want to go _this_ year, because Piper believed that she could find her sister, or some clue as to what had happened to her

Piper finished off preparing by grabbing a small orange headband, and using it to hold her hair up in a tall column of hair. Dressed and ready, she took one more glance in the mirror, a small ache in her chest started as her mind was dragged back to the day Starling left on her Fledging. Apart from their skin and eye colour, Starling and Piper were nearly identical, Starling had more of their father's facial features, while Piper had more from their mother, but they had looked very similar growing up

With the way she was now dressed, in clothes built for the outdoors, it was almost as if Piper was staring at her sister. She placed her hand to the glass, "I'll find you," she breathed, "I'll find out what happened big sis, I promise."

With that quiet promise, she dashed downstairs to breakfast

* * *

The Telani are a unique race, they were divided into clans, but their government was based on the idea of cooperation between the clans. Each clan managed a different part of their planet, and each was specialised in a different way. The clan of Atmosia were the Protectors, it was they who produced the honour bound warriors known as Skyknights, warriors devoted to protecting the people, even from themselves, if that became necessary

They were also unique in their biology

The most obvious thing about them was that they were Humanoid; in fact, they resembled Humans in almost every way, except one. Each individual sported an impressive pair of wings sprouting from the backs of their shoulder blades. This meant that all Telani, even females, had slightly broader shoulders than the average human, to accommodate the extra muscles required to operate such magnificent feats of evolution

The colour of the feathers of a Telani's wings, most often matched their hair colour, but sometimes could be a shade or two off, or in rare cases, completely different

This made any area that the residents of Atmosia flew through a literal kaleidoscope of colour, particularly as Atmosia was a city where every Telani kept their feathers neatly groomed, keeping them in pristine condition so that they shimmered in the sunlight

This was the scene that Lark now found herself in as she considered her next move. She needed to get into the Fledging, she was currently following a group that was primarily filled with those who would be taking the Fledging this year. She didn't want to spend the Fledging cloaked and hidden though, no, to truly _wow_ the old fossils back at the Academy, she needed to get closer than that, she needed to _interact_.

To do that however, she would have to appear as _one_ of them, she couldn't afford to reveal she was human, the consequences of that went _way_ beyond what these people would do to her if they discovered she wasn't one of them

As she followed her chosen group though, more and more participants began gathering, and an idea began forming in her mind, where better to hide, than in plain sight

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure about this Piper?" Cecilia Peregrine asked, for like the twelfth time that morning

"Yes mom I'm sure," Piper replied, sure and confident, nothing was going to stop her

Her father, Ren Peregrine, glanced at his wife, the same worry going through his head as his wife's, "Piper, you know what happens every four years on a Fledging," he stated

Piper's brisk walk down the high street to the Gathering Place, slowed for a moment as she turned back to her parents, looking for the first time at the worry on their faces. "Some participants disappear, never to be seen again," she replied, "But that doesn't mean I _will_ , some do make it back, and who knows, this year might finally be different."

Cecilia gave her wings a couple of flaps as she got round in front of her youngest daughter, "Your sister said something similar, and look what happened to her, we can't lose you too Piper."

"I'll be careful mom, I promise," Piper replied, hugging her mother when she saw the tears brimming in her eyes

Her father came up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder, "No one would fault you for waiting a year," he said, trying one last time to convince Piper to wait, "You'd still be able to take the Fledging next year."

Piper did truly consider that option, for her parent's sake, but in the end, her mind was resolute, "All my friends are going this year, I can't just drop out on them like that, we've already thought out where we're going to go, what we're going to do, they'd be crushed if I didn't come with them."

Ren took a breath, it had been worth a try, and perhaps Piper was right, maybe nothing would happen this year. They didn't actually know _how_ , _what_ , or _why_ young Telani were disappearing on the Fledging, perhaps whatever was causing it, wouldn't happen this year, maybe?

"Just... promise us you'll be careful," Ren finally said

Piper nodded and smiled in reply

Ren smiled in return, then turned to his wife, "It's her choice Cecilia, if she wants to go this year, there's nothing we can do to stop her."

Cecilia nodded, doing her best to hold back her tears, once she composed herself, she hugged Piper one more time, before releasing her, "Come on, at this rate, we'll be late to the gathering."

With that, the three of them hurried along the street to the large raised Dias at the edge of the city, giving a magnificent view over the forest beyond

Currently the Dias was crowded with almost half the city, most were young Telani, excited to be going on their Fledging, despite the risk of this particular year. The remainder were mostly the families of the participants, as well as some slightly older young adults who'd already taken the Fledging

At the lip of the Dias, perched over the forest below, was a small stage. The Gathering Place was usually the site of important meetings or announcements, on this particular day, it also served as the city's launch point for their Fledging

Piper looked around and soon caught sight of her friends, she waved to them before turning to her parents, "I'm going to be with my friends, right over there okay," she said, pointing to where they were gathered

Ren and Cecilia both smiled and nodded, "Okay sweetheart, have fun, and remember to be careful," Ren replied, while holding onto his wife

Piper nodded in response, a wide grin plastered on her face as she turned to push through the crowd to her friends

* * *

Ren could feel Cecilia shaking, he gripped her tighter, "She'll be fine Cecilia, she knows how to look after herself."

"So did Starling, Ren," Cecilia replied, her voice beginning to crack

Ren had no answer to that, but when Cecilia's shoulders began to shake, he turned to look at his wife, a stab of worry pierced his heart when he saw her tears. He pulled her close, letting her cry into his shoulder

"I'm sorry Ren... I just keep having flashbacks to Starling... and when she left on the Fledging... I just have this horrible feeling we're never going to see Piper again," she sobbed

Ren stroked her raven locks, and wrapped his wings around her, he said nothing, but let his wife silently release her grief for Starling, and her worry for Piper. Around them, he could see other couples going through the same problem

He glanced over to Piper, easily picking out her wings in the crowd, he saw her talking with someone he didn't know, already making new friends it seemed

 _Please be careful Piper, we don't care what else happens on your Fledging, just make sure you_ _ **do**_ _come back_

* * *

Piper had just turned back around to move through the crowd to her friends, when she collided with someone. Startled she used her wings to balance herself, the person she'd run into though, was not so quick to react however, and landed hard on their backside

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there!" Piper exclaimed, hurriedly moving to the other's side to help them up

As she did, Piper noticed it was a girl her own age, she had blond hair styled into two matching pigtails, her wings were white in colour and her eyes a deep magenta. She wore clothes similar to Piper's own, sturdy clothing designed to protect against the elements, while also being light and streamlined, to make flying easier

While Piper's clothes were a navy blue with yellow and dark green highlights, this girl wore light, sky blue colours with darker, purple highlights. She had fair coloured skin with a light dusting of freckles about her face, wore a half-head band over the crown of her head, and a simple silver earring in each ear

"No, it's my fault, wasn't watching where I was going," the girl replied, gratefully accepting Piper's help as she dusted herself off

"Guess we were both being a bit clumsy," Piper said, rubbing the back of her head, embarrassed

"Guess so," the girl replied, "My name's Lark by the way," she continued, extending her hand

"Piper," Piper replied, accepting and shaking it

"So, you taking the Fledging?" Lark asked

Piper nodded, "Yep, me and my friends over there," she replied pointing to where they were waiting for her. Piper then turned back to Lark, "Hey, have you got a group yet to go with?"

"Not yet no, was just looking for one actually," Lark answered

Piper's face split into a huge smile as she grabbed Lark's arm, "Come with us, we've got a really awesome month planned out, and you know what they say, the more the merrier."

Lark suddenly seemed unsure, "That's generous, but we've only just met, I wouldn't want to intrude on you and your friends," she replied

Piper was about to speak, until a familiar voice interrupted her, "Heh Piper, whose this?"

She turned to see a familiar untidy mop of red hair atop a handsome young face, and two dark hazel eyes. "Heh Aerrow, was just about to join you guys when I ran into Lark here," she replied, gesturing to the girl next to her

"Pleased to meet you," Aerrow said, extending a hand to Lark

"Likewise," Lark replied

Suddenly a head of short blond hair and beige wings appeared between them. "Heh there," the blue eyed owner greeted, "Name's Finn, but you, cutie, can call me whatever you want," he said, while waggling his eyebrows

Lark couldn't help it, just the absurdity of the thought that a Telani was hitting on her, caused her to burst out laughing, and surprisingly, Piper was right behind her

"Sorry," Lark giggled, "But I'm afraid you're not my _type_ ," she responded, before bursting out laughing again

"Sorry about him," Piper chortled, "But I'm afraid we've been unable to cure his chronic skirt chasing."

This caused a fresh bout of laughter from the two girls, and a smirk from Aerrow, while Finn, who _had_ just been confused, now scowled. "Heh Piper come on, that's not fair!" he cried indignantly as the girls continued giggling

"Alright, what's going on here?" asked a new voice

Lark and Piper got their laughter under control, and turned to find a slightly older girl standing behind them. She had forest green hair and wings to match, her eyes were a light pink in colour and she wore the same type of clothes as the rest of them, only in shades of dark green

"Dove!" Piper cried happily as she rushed to the newcomer and embraced her, which Dove returned

"What are you doing here, I thought you took the Fledging three years ago?" Piper asked after they broke apart

Dove nodded, "I did, but a lot of parents have been pressing on the Skyknights to do something about the disappearances," she replied. "Unfortunately, there's not much they can do, when they don't know what's happening to cause them, so to placate the worried parents, they've asked some of us older young adults to accompany you guys on the Fledging, we're young enough that we'll be closer to peers, rather than adults."

Piper, Aerrow and Finn nodded in acceptance, it made sense when you thought about it, the older ones had the experience of the Fledging already under their belts. So if anything did go wrong, they'd be able to protect their younger peers, or at least hold off whatever was causing the disappearances long enough for help to arrive

Lark on the other hand though, was now curious, this was the first she'd heard of disappearances during the Fledging. "Disappearances, what are you talking about?"

The other four looked at her like she was crazy

"Dude, where have you been living, under a rock!?" Finn exclaimed

Lark winced a bit, "To a certain extent, my parents don't let me out much," she replied, the half truth rolling easily off her tongue

"Then I'm surprised they let you come to _this_ Fledging, most parents want to stop their kids going on a cursed year," Aerrow stated

Another wince, "Actually, they don't know I'm here, I snuck out," Lark replied, her cheeks reddening

Piper stared open mouthed at her, eyes wide; the boys didn't look too different. Dove meanwhile just shook her head, "Alright, here's the long and short of it," she began, "Every four years, some of the participants who go on the Fledging, don't come back."

Lark's eyes widened as she heard this, then Piper picked up the thread, "It's the same for every Clan, every settlement, like clockwork, every four years," Lark noted the look of anguish that crossed Piper's face as she spoke

"You lost someone?" she asked

Piper merely nodded, but it was Dove who replied

"Starling, her sister, my friend, along with many others, almost our entire Fledging for that year just... vanished... into thin air," Dove said

Lark looked round at all of them, shocked, "And your still going, despite what you know happens?"

"There's no guarantee that things will be the same this year, but we simply don't have enough information to really do anything about it, the alternative would be to cause whole generations to miss their Fledgings, and deny them that rite of passage," Aerrow explained

Lark was about to retort, but came up short. Who was she to question them, this was a tradition going back centuries, and yet despite these disappearances, their people still prospered. Even so, Lark suddenly felt uneasy about this whole thing, something suddenly didn't seem right, it was like she was starring at a puzzle she had all the pieces to, but one. She was missing something, but she didn't know what

Piper then shook herself free of the morbid thoughts the conversation had stirred up, "At any rate, we're going, curse or no curse, and who knows, maybe this year will be the year that nothing happens, right?"

That seemed to bring the others out of their dark cloud, and they brightened up considerably. "Right," Aerrow replied, "Remember, we've got a fun filled month ahead of us, we should enjoy it as much as we can."

"I hear that dude," Finn agreed, smiling

Piper then turned to Lark, "So Lark, would you like to come with us?"

Lark considered it, so far she'd been unsuccessful at interacting with anyone and finding a group. She blended in well enough, and no one gave her a second glance, but she needed a group if she was to take part in the Fledging, and Piper and her friends were the only ones offering

"Okay," she nodded, "So long as that's okay with you guys?" she asked, glancing to Aerrow and Finn

Aerrow smiled while shrugging, "Heh, the more the merrier."

"Hell yes, this month is going to be awesome!" Finn cried while flourishing his wings

"What about you Dove, you want to come with us?" Piper suddenly asked the older girl

Dove gave a small chuckle while shaking her head, "Why not, someone's gotta make sure you kids don't get too carried away."

They all chuckled at that, before the sound of a foghorn blasted over the gathering place

Everyone turned to see a tall, red headed Telani man step up onto the stage at the edge of the Dias. "Who's that?" Lark asked

"My dad," Aerrow replied, "Lightning Strike, leader of the Skyknights," a big grin on his face

Lark noticed Piper roll her eyes, but held a smile all the same, Lark smiled back, then turned her attention back to Lightning as he began speaking

"Alright, welcome all, now, who's ready for their Fledging!" he called out over the crowd

A huge roar answered him, but Lightning merely chuckled, "Oh come on now, you can do better than that!" he goaded

The answering roar this time seemed twice as loud, and some young Telani even flew up into the air a short ways, so their voices carried over the crowd

Lightning gave a bark of hearty laughter, "Now that's more like it," he said after everyone had settled. "You're all excited I take it!?" he asked

Another roar went out, and to Lark it seemed even louder than the last

"And so you should, one whole month to do what you want, go where you want, with no adult supervision, what teenager wouldn't want an adventure like that!?" he encouraged

Yet another roar swept the Dias, the sheer volume of noise was almost overwhelming for Lark, she was glad she remembered her smart ear plugs, which adjusted automatically to protect her ear drums from particularly loud noises. Lark knew, then and there, that this was going to be an experience like no other, despite the fact she knew she'd been recording since she left the observation pod, she checked once again, to make sure she was getting everything

 _This will turn those old Fossil's heads at the Academy for sure_

"Of course, it's not all fun and games," Lightning said, his voice now serious, "It's about finding out _who_ you really are, and what you _want_ out of life. It's about learning your limits, both you're physical and mental ones."

Lightning paused here, giving his words a moment to sink in, "But of course, that's life, have to take the good with the bad, the fun moments with the serious ones," he continued. "I learned this, as has every Telani before you, the Fledging is an opportunity, to be with friends, to have fun, but also to learn, so don't waste it, this is _your_ time, and _you_ get to choose how you spend it."

Once more, the crowd of young Fledglings roared their assent

Lightning's face now turned deadly serious, "I'm sure some of you have noticed some of your older peers among you this year, even though they've already taken their Fledging." Whispered mutterings spread through the crowd at this, it died down as Lightning began speaking again, "They're here for _you_ , because this is the fourth Fledging since the last disappearances, and it was decided that some extra protection would be best," Lightning continued, "Their young enough to still be your peers, but old enough that their experience will give you a far better chance should something go wrong, than if you were alone."

Lark noticed that the parents were the ones to voice their assent to this statement, and her mind was once again dragged to the thought of _what_ could be causing Telani to go missing on their Fledging. This planet was an unknown outside of the UNE, so she doubted anyone off-world could be responsible, but a local threat just didn't seem likely, especially on the scale they'd hinted to her. She was missing something, something important

"But don't let that distract you, this is your month, so go out there and enjoy it, spend time with your friends, push yourselves, and remember," Lightning paused here, smiling over the crowd, before punching a fist into the air as he shouted, "HAVE FUN!"

The young Telani cheered one last time, before they took to the air, wings flapping as they exulted in the freedom of flight. Lark shot up after them, remembering to keep her holographic wings flapping as she followed after Piper and her friends

And so, the Fledging had begun

* * *

 _UNE Stealth Station Orion, June 25th, 9:30am_

Professor Torrens watched as the life signs at the edge of the city of Atmosia dispersed, and Lark's transponder went with them, keeping pace with a group of four Telani life signs heading out into the forest

"Is there _no_ way to contact her?" he asked

"Not without giving ourselves away, even if they don't hear what's said, our transmission could still be detected, only the pods have the closed communication circuit necessary for off-world communication," replied another member of the team

Torrens put his head in his hands, he was an old man, almost 100 years old – modern medicine could perform wonders that wouldn't have been possible a couple of centuries ago – and while he was still going strong, this current situation was making retirement seem a _very_ attractive prospect

He sat up, running a hand through his silver hair, his weathered face drawn and stern, "She had to pick _this_ day, of _all_ days to do this, god damn it."

The other members of the team looked nervously at one another, before looking to Torrens. "What should we do sir?"

Torrens sighed, "We can't extract her, not without giving the game away, we'll just have to wait, hope, and pray, that she and her group goes unnoticed," he stated

"And if they _don't_ go unnoticed?"

"Then heaven help us."

* * *

 **And that closes Chapter 1, I hope you all enjoyed, please remember that I' am completely open to constructive criticism and don't forget to review**

 **One final thing, there will be some OC's like Torrens and Piper's parents scattered here and there throughout the story. Additionally, just for clarity, Cecilia Peregrine has the same skin colour as Piper, and passed that onto her, and Ren Peregrine, has the same as Starling, and passed that on to her. I'm not a geneticist so I don't know if this is actually possible, but from what I remember from my biology lessons, when two dominant alleles come together, it's a 50/50 chance of one emerging over the other**

 **See you all next time, my dear readers ; )  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely cause I want it to,** ** **Additionally, credit to cover image goes to Mythorie over on Deviant Art, your awesome mate****

 **AND WE'RE BACK**

 **I do love a fresh start, now I understand why other authors work on more than one story at once, it's so much more refreshing**

 **Now to business, we have some things to discuss**

 **First and foremost, I've made some changes to what was already up**

 **Change 1. I don't know what possessed me to call the Telani's planet 'Antia' but I've now decided I don't like it, as it doesn't feel Storm Hawk enough, so I've changed it to Atmos (Please let me know if there are any instances of 'Antia' I missed)**

 **Change 2. I didn't like the original summary, so I've changed it, hopefully it will be more enticing to Storm Hawks fans now, and I've also decided to include a more detailed blurb at the beginning of each chapter (the blurb will be the story blurb, so it will be the same each chapter, but it does act as a nice reminder of the overall story)**

 **Change 3. I also added a subtitle to the main title, Book 1 of Stellaris is now, 'Stellaris, Book 1: The Fledging'**

 **So those are the changes, now to the important bits for this chapter**

 **First, lets talk shop, and by that, I mean the tech involved in this story**

 **Both Stellaris and Mass Effect have forms of Faster Than Light travel, or FTL in the Sci-Fi bizz, in this instance, Hyperdrive. the only difference between, Stellaris Hyperdrive, and Mass Effect's, is that in Stellaris, it is used as a means of _galactic_ travel, while in Mass Effect, it's used merely as a means of travel from system to system in a single cluster of stars, while objects called Mass Relays, are used for galactic travel**

 **for the purposes of this story, Mass Relays, are NOT a thing (apologies to all Mass Effect fans out there). I do intend to have the odd gateway that can transport ships VAST distances in mere seconds, but they won't be Mass Relays**

 **In addition, the way the Hyperdrive works might be a little tweaked to what fans of Stellaris know. In Stellaris, Hyperdrive takes you from the edge of one system to the facing edge of another, that is connected to the first by a hyperspace lane. Those Hyperspace lanes are staying, however, a ship doesn't _need_ to go from edge to edge, they can just jump directly to any planet in a system, however, this is risky, thanks to the gravity wells of both the planets themselves, _and_ the star around which those planets orbit **

**It is a far safer option, to drop out of Hyperspace, on the edge of a system, rather than drop out, _inside_ the system. Only the best - or _craziest -_ of pilots would dare make jumps that could threaten to tear their ship apart**

 **Next up is a little piece of tech called a Focus**

 **This is from another game, but as it's the only thing from that game I'm using, I'm going to tell you about it here, rather than make you trawl through _another_ wiki**

 **The Focus is a small silver triangle about an inch long from base to tip that attaches to the user's temple close to the ear, it is extremely durable, able to remain functioning for years**

 **It serves as a multipurpose neural interface, responsive to the user's gestures and voice and displays a 3D visual interface, visible only to them (For the purposes of this story, all Foci have a privacy setting that does the same thing, but which can also be turned off so that others besides the user can see)**

 **It aids in the operation of machinery and technology alike, as well as communications (in this story it is the primary means of communication between members of the UNE Military and their agents, and can hold a huge repository of data)**

 **And that's all you need to know about the Focus, I'll give more details about it in later chapters when it comes into proper use by multiple characters**

 **Finally, after reading back through chapter 1, I'm aware that some people might have a rather poor view of the Telani people, considering they keep sending their kids off, _alone_ into the wilderness, even on years where it's been proven that they disappear, never to be seen again**

 **I would like to reiterate something I already touched on during the last chapter. The Telani have NO clue whatsoever, about what is causing these disappearances**

 **I know you guys know, most of you have probably figured it out already, but that's the point**

 **The Telani are not stupid, or bad parents, their simply trying to keep to their traditions and unsure everyone, even their children are afforded their rights, even if it means sending them off into danger. The Fledging has become such an ingrained part of their society that to postpone it is abhorrent to them, even if it comes with risks, their still going to do it (We'll learn more about _why_ this is later on)**

 **And I think that's everything, oh wait almost forgot**

 ** **WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS THEMES OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND SLAVERY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR PREVIOUS PAGE****

 ** **And with that, let's roll this thing****

 ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all, welcome back to, Stellaris, Book 1: The Fledging****

 _ ** **Blurb:****_

 **On the planet of Atmos, the Telani people prepare for their annual tradition known as the Fledging, a journey undertaken by Telani about to enter adulthood. On this journey we follow a group of young Telani – Piper, Aerrow, Finn and their older peer, Dove – excited to begin their Fledging. However, unbeknownst to them, they have an unexpected guest, a Human, called Lark Cyclonis, secretly visiting their planet, studying their people and culture**

 **Together they depart on the Fledging, all the while unaware of the shadow that looms over Atmos, and is due to strike again. When it does, the youngsters are flung into a Galaxy of danger, meeting new people, both friends, and enemies, and reuniting with long lost loved ones. The young Telani of Atmos are about to find out, that their world is so much bigger than they could have possibly imagined**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2: The Shadow Looms**_

 _Outer edge of the Eggellen Prime System, June 25_ _th_ _, 5:45 pm_

Five large vessels emerged from Hyperspace on the outer limits of the Eggellen system; their armour plates were curved and jagged, each one about half a mile long. They appeared as though some great entity had flung giant javelins at the system, javelins that proceeded to move towards the centre of the system, and their destination

On the lead vessel, a deck near the top of the ship possessed a wide, panoramic view of the space around it. On this deck stood a single figure, it was a young female Telani, she had hard, deep emerald eyes, a pointed chin, and deep purple hair, that didn't quite come down to her shoulders, except for two bangs, hanging down on each side of her face

Once upon a time, the feathers of her wings had shared this colour, but the last few years of her life had caused the blue tint in them to fade. The feathers were still well groomed, causing them to shine and shimmer in the light from a star the young female hadn't see in four years. Now however, rather than purple, her wings were a deep, blood red, which was how she had received her new name, Red Hawk

She was a Hunter Hawk, trained to fight, to hunt, all for her Master, and she was good at it too, the best. Only one among her Master's slaves, had the skill and power to rival her, but she was still better, which was why her Master favoured her, let her roam around the ship

She wouldn't run – even here, so close to home, closer than she'd been in years – she would never run, because she knew the consequences of such actions. No, she wouldn't run, she would serve, she would bow her head and do as she was commanded, because she _had_ to protect them, her home, her people... her family

As she gazed towards where she knew Atmos was, her mind was dragged back them, to their smiles, their happy faces, to her little sister's infectious laughter. Red Hawk felt hot tears sting her eyes, she quickly blinked them away

 _Please sister, please tell me you didn't take the Fledging this year, tell me you stayed home, I don't know if I could live with myself if you were taken_

As the silent prayer ran through her mind, the five ships continued on their course for Atmos, it was another year, and Telani season had begun once again

* * *

 _Atmos, June 25_ _th_ _6:00pm_

Lark, Piper, Aerrow, Fin and Dove had just finished setting up camp as the sun began its final descent to the horizon

"Sorry we didn't get as far as we wanted, I'm not the strongest flyer," Lark apologised

Piper waved her off, "its okay, we still made good progress for the first day, and besides, we've got a full month, so no rush."

Dove nodded, "Piper's right, and remember, this isn't about getting anywhere specific, this is about enjoying ourselves and having a good time, while learning along the way."

"Fair enough, I just don't want to feel like I'm dragging you down," Lark replied

Aerrow suddenly put his arm around Lark's shoulders, "Listen Lark, because it's time to start learning," Lark raised an eyebrow to this, before Aerrow continued, "Your problem, is you put too much pressure on yourself."

"Excuse me?" Lark exclaimed

Piper nodded, "He's right, you need to give yourself some credit, for someone who doesn't get out or do much long distance flying, you did great for your first day."

Finn and dove nodded in agreement to this as Aerrow spoke again, "You see, don't sweat it, and feel a bit of pride in what you accomplished."

More nods followed this statement as Lark sighed, "Well, thanks then, I guess, and I'll keep that in mind," she replied with a small smile

Aerrow smiled back, and then went over to help Finn cook dinner

As the boys got dinner ready, Dove went over to the nearby river to get some fresh water for their canteens, while Piper saw to the finishing touches on their tents and shelters. Lark was still amazed at the efficiency of it all, apparently, all of the supplies for the participants of the Fledging had been stashed a short way's into the forest, ready to be collected

Lark had had her stuff with her, but her cover of 'not getting out much' meant there were few raised eyebrows. Her flying problem of course was something she couldn't divulge to the others though, and it wouldn't get better over time, in fact, there was a distinct possibility it could get worse

When Lark had fashioned her holographic disguise, she had underestimated the draw it would cause on her suit's energy reserves. This had meant less energy for her Gravitron pack, which was already being taxed to the limit. The Gravitron pack was what allowed her to fly, though that wasn't its original function

It was designed to levitate the wearer by manipulating gravity fields and the mass of the wearer. Propelling her through the air, at speeds to match that of her winged companions, was pushing the pack to its limits, coupled with the power draw of her disguise meant she had been unbearably slow

To compensate, she had activated the pack's solar panels to begin absorbing sunlight and charge up the battery. Normally these were a last resort, for when the pack's internal power source was running low, and couldn't be used while in 'flight'. Lark had needed to override some of the pack's safety functions to get it all working, thankfully, she'd succeeded, and the extra boost from the solar panels had helped her keep up with her companions

 _I need to get this fixed, if I keep being so slow their going to start asking questions, awkward questions that could blow my cover. Though Aerrow is right, I do put too much pressure on myself, in this instance however, I think it's warranted_

Lark was about to head off to a quite spot to run through her inventory, when Piper's voice broke her from her thoughts

"You okay Lark?"

"Oh yes, just thinking," Lark replied

"About what?" Piper asked, curious

Lark hesitated, on the one hand, she couldn't let Piper know too much about her, on the other, she was here to learn herself, and the best way to do that, was to get to know these people, it was the whole reason for her disguise after all

So she answered with, "Just about what Aerrow said."

"Oh?"

"Yea, I had a, _confusing_ childhood," Lark answered

Piper studied her contemplatively, "How so?"

Lark sighed, _can't tell her the whole truth, but there are parts_. Steeling herself, Lark's gaze moved towards the fire in the centre of the camp, "Everyone I've ever known has had high expectations of me, while my family has _never_ had any expectations of me."

Piper blinked a couple of times, "Wow, that does sound confusing."

Lark gave a dry chuckle in response, "You have _no_ idea."

"Why though, what was the reason?" Piper asked

Lark closed her eyes, sighing as memories returned, "My grandmother," she said. Piper's eyes widened as the pieces slowly began clicking, but before she could speak, Lark continued. "You wouldn't know her, but from where I come from, she was a pretty famous woman, she did a lot of great things, helped a lot of people. Many people from where I live consider her a hero, a symbol, and you know how they say greatness always skips a generation."

"So there I was, a little girl, marvelling at my grandmother's accomplishments, but shut in by my family, while everyone who knows me expects me to be just like my grandmother. Brilliant, intelligent, kind, compassionate, strong willed, determined, and utterly devoted to whatever cause I'm pursuing," Lark explained

"She sounds like an amazing woman, who'd cast a very big shadow," Piper said

"She did, and in many ways still does," Lark replied nodding

"Did?"

Lark nodded, feeling tears prick her eyes, "She's dead, natural causes, but still a shock." Lark almost mentioned how old her grandmother had been when she died, but stopped herself in time, that knowledge would have been an immediate red flag. Thankfully, Piper didn't seem to notice her cover up

Instead, Piper was staring at Lark, with what looked like sorrow in her eyes, "Oh Lark, I'm so sorry."

Lark gave a small smile as she wiped her eyes, "Thanks, it was a few years ago now, it's an old, well healed wound..." Lark trailed off for a moment as her gaze returned to the flames, "But a wound like that, never really leaves you."

Piper nodded, "I know that feeling," she said, her own eyes now gazing into the fire

Lark gave Piper a sideways look, "You're sister?"

Piper nodded, tears beginning to prick her own eyes, "I still remember the day when we found out, it was about a week or so after Starling and the others left on their Fledging, we heard a knock at the front door one morning." Piper began fiddling with one of the laces on her shoes as she spoke, "Dad opened the door, Lightning Strike was standing on the other side... he didn't have to say anything, we could see by the look on his face what he'd come to tell us."

Lark noticed the others had moved further away as Piper spoke. Dove had a faraway look in her eyes, no doubt recalling memories of the friend she'd lost, while Aerrow and Finn were doing their best to concentrate on their task

"I still remember the cry of anguish my mother uttered as the pieces clicked for all of us, she begged Lightning to tell her it wasn't true, that there was some mistake, that Starling might just be lost somewhere out in the wilderness. All Lightning said was that a search had already been started to determine definitively, who was now missing, and who wasn't, he asked us for any information about where Starling might go to hide from danger. My dad volunteered to help search, and told me to stay with mom..."

Piper trailed off, the tears now flowing freely, "But three days later, Lightning came back, pretty much carrying my dad, who'd pushed himself to the point of exhaustion. They were still searching, but so far there was no sign of Starling. One week after that, the search was called off, the entire forest had been searched, and Starling... was nowhere to be found."

Lark felt a spike of guilt, stab her in the gut for taking the conversation here, she needed to fix this, "I'm sure she's out there somewhere Piper... missing, doesn't mean, dead... but I can understand how similar the pain can be," she said as she put a comforting arm around Piper's shoulders

Piper nodded, wiping her eyes and giving Lark a small half smile, "Thanks, and that's actually part of the reason I wanted to take the Fledging this year."

Lark raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I want to try and find her, or some clue as to what happened," Piper explained

"Piper," Dove sighed exasperatedly, and the two of them turned to the older girl, "We looked all over this forest, we didn't find anything, nothing except scattered equipment and torn tents, nothing that could tell us what happened."

"That doesn't mean there's nothing out there, we might have missed something," Piper retorted

"Even if that were the case, it's been _four_ years Piper, whatever clues might have been left, are probably long lost to nature now," Dove replied

Piper turned back to the fire, a small scowl now marring her features. Meanwhile, Lark turned to Dove, curious, "Torn tents?"

Dove glanced at her, then sighed as she turned to stare up at the sky, "Yea, we found the last campsite that Starling and her group made, the tents were torn up, but there was no blood, so whatever attacked them, got the tents, but didn't hurt anyone, at least initially."

"What would you have said _caused_ the tears?" Lark questioned

Now all of them stared at her questioningly, "Why so curious?" Dove asked

Lark shrugged, "I've studied a lot, not much else to do when your shut in most of your life," she then tapped the side of her head, "I've also got a near perfect memory, there's a lot of info up here I can access almost instantly."

That was half true, Lark did know a lot, and she did have a good memory, but she also had a bit of tech to fill in the gaps in her own knowledge, her Focus

Dove raised an eyebrow, then sighed, shaking her head. "They were large tears, whatever animal attacked them, it was big, at least as big as an adult man, I'm thinking predator as well, only a predator has claws that sharp."

"Not necessarily, some herbivores have been known to have some formidable equipment at their disposal, not for hunting though, mainly for defence, or digging up roots..." Lark countered, then glanced to Piper. "Is there any local fauna around here like that, something big that could have attacked Starling and her group?"

"That's the weird thing," Finn interjected, everyone turned to him, "There hasn't been anything like that in the last three centuries."

The others all nodded in agreement, "Didn't you know this already, there are no large animals on Atmos, there haven't been any for centuries," Piper said

Lark frowned, _that wasn't right, nearly every planet capable of sustaining life had some sought of mega fauna, or large fauna. It was an unspoken rule of evolution, even on planets where the sentient life had killed all the other large animals off, they had still existed_ _ **at least**_ _right up to the advent of space travel, if not longer... so why not here, how could they have all disappeared three centuries ago?_

"This is the first I've heard of this, does anyone know exactly what happened to them?" she asked

Shrugs all round, "Not really no," Aerrow replied, "All our history says, is that evil spirit's came long ago and began killing any large creature they could find, including our people."

"Those who survived had to learn a whole new method of survival, as the spirits seemed to know exactly where their prey was, even if they couldn't see it," Dove continued

"After the spirits left, only those who had successfully hidden themselves, or flown fast enough were left, that's how the Fledging started," Piper explained

Now Lark was listening, intently, this was why she was here, to learn more about the Fledging, "How the Fledging started?"

Piper nodded, "The majority of Telani who were left were all between the ages of 15 and 19, and none of them were older than 26."

Lark's eyes widened, _the youngest survived, where the older generations perished, along with every large animal on the planet, caused by evil spirits. But this makes no sense, no one else knows about this planet except the Academy, could it be some unexplained phenomenon, I'm missing something, something_ _ **important**_ _and I don't like it_

"When the survivors had their kids, they decided that they should learn how to survive like they had, in case the evils spirits ever returned," Dove stated, "And so, once a year, every year, those between the ages of 15 and 17 are sent out on their own into the wilderness for a whole month."

"It began as survival training and over time turned into a sort of spiritual journey for the participants, as many learned more than simply how to survive, they also learned a lot about themselves," Aerrow said, "Even more so when going on the Fledging with friends, as the participants learn from each other, as much as themselves."

Lark's head was spinning with all this information; Piper noticed the look of intense concentration on her face. "Lark, is everything ok?"

"Hmm, yeah, just fine..." Lark trailed off, "Actually, I need some time alone, I have some things to think about, call me when dinners ready." And without waiting for an answer, she marched off into the now dark forest

"Okay..." Piper replied awkwardly

"How'd you meet her again Piper?" Dove asked, as they all stared after where Lark had disappeared into the brush

"I bumped into her at the gathering, before Lightning started his speech," Piper replied, "Why?"

Dove frowned as she stared into the part of the forest Lark walked into, "Not sure, but something just seems... _off_ , about her."

"You're probably overreacting Dove, cursed year and all that, you're being a little overprotective," Finn said, waving a hand dismissively

Dove rolled her eyes, "Oh, like I'm going to listen to the guy who was _hitting_ on her, mere seconds after meeting her."

That caused a bout of laughter to erupt from Piper and Aerrow, and an indignant cry from Finn, and just like that, Lark's strange behaviour was for the moment, forgotten

* * *

Lark walked a fair ways into the forest, before dropping her disguise and un-slinging her pack, she plucked her Focus from her temple, and hooked it up to her data recorder, then pressed record.

"Observation log 2, date, Monday the 25th of June, 2277, time, 6:55pm. Current location, Atmosia Forest, on the surface of the planet Atmos in the Eggellen Prime system," Lark began

"It's been a single day, and I already feel like I'm in over my head, the physical demands of the Fledging are a lot greater than I could have possible imagined, I'm currently having power problems with my Gravitron pack thanks to the power draw my holographic disguise causes."

Lark glanced around to make sure she was still alone

"I managed to compensate, but I need to find an alternate long term solution to the problem, as the stress I'm placing the pack under could render it inoperable before the month is over, and a Telani unable to fly would raise too many red flags."

Lark took a breath as she prepared to deliver the bombshell of today

"But that's nothing compared to what I've learned today, I'll edit all of this together back at the station after the month is over, but I will be transmitting copies of all the footage I recorded today. Of note are the final segments, where I discover the origins of the Fledging, and some conundrums that would seem to indicate that the UNE are not the _first_ space faring species to visit this planet."

Lark ran her hand through her hair as she prepared to deliver her next statement

"I don't see how that's possible though, considering that upon discover of this planet, it was placed into the Protected Planets Program, and became part of UNE territory and according to the records, there is no indication that another species discovered the planet first. So either the records are wrong... or we missed something... and I honestly don't know which is worse."

Lark heard Piper's voice calling her name as she finished

"For now, I'll have to leave this mystery to unravel later, I'm sure my constant questioning about this subject has earned me some suspicion... however, Professor Torrens, could you please make a separate folder labelled, Fledging mystery, and place a copy of this transmission into it for when I return."

Lark heard Piper's voice again, closer now

"I have to go now, I have dinner waiting, then I need to solve my power problem, I'll report in again at the end of the week, to maintain my cover and lower the risk my transmissions are detected by the Telani."

With that, she stopped the recording, clipped it to the recording she'd taken throughout the day, and then transmitted it to the stealth station where her team was. That was another thing she didn't understand

Three days earlier, Torrens had recalled all ground personnel to the station, and a week before that, had ordered cameras set up all over this forest, and other areas like it. She had assumed he wanted to make another distanced study of the Fledging

But the more she thought about it, the less sense it made, they'd learned all they could about the Fledging from a distance, why repeat something they already had tons of data on and could learn nothing new about it, without getting closer

 _I really am missing something, but what, Torrens told me everything... didn't he?... but if he didn't... why would he lie to me?_

"LARK!?" Piper called once more, shaking Lark from her thoughts. She quickly activated her disguise after putting everything away and slinging her pack once more

"Here Piper, I'm just coming," Lark called back

"Okay," Piper replied through the trees, before Lark heard her start to make her way back to camp

Lark gazed one last time at the stars above, before turning and following Piper

* * *

 _UNE Stealth Station Orion, Behind Atmos' largest moon, June 25_ _th_ _, 10:55pm_

Torrens sat in front of the console, starring out towards the system's edge; five tiny pinpricks of light had appeared just an hour ago. Torrens knew what they were, his whole team did, he'd handpicked them for this mission, they knew the stakes, they knew the score. The only one who didn't, was Lark

 _Why though, why did I choose to take Lark Cyclonis?_

He knew it had been a mistake when he had asked her if she would like to go on an observation mission. Not because of her skill set, hell no, her skill set was incredible, she was every bit Anarchis' granddaughter

Intelligent, driven, determined, kind, compassionate, and devoted to a fault... and that was the problem

She was becoming every bit the woman her grandmother had been, he had known that the moment he'd seen her file, seen it in her eyes, the passion with which she spoke about her grandmother's work

And yet, he'd brought her, to the very planet that had both been Anarchis' motivation for her work, and her downfall

 _And now here I' am, repeating history, oh Anarchis, I'm so sorry, so sorry I dragged your granddaughter into all this_

He didn't even know what kind of _insanity_ had driven him to make the choice, though he suspected it was the feeling of familiarity Lark created. She was so like her grandmother, that when she was working with them, Torrens was transported back 60 years ago, to when he'd worked with Anarchis for the first time

A silent tear slid down his cheek, god how he missed her, they could really use her help right now, if Anarchis was here, she'd know what to do to fix this. She wasn't though, it was just him, and he'd screwed it up, _big time_

Torrens tapped his Focus, "Jimmy," he said

"What's up Doc?" came Jimmy's tired voice on the other end – he was their communications officer

"I need you to connect me to the nearest UNE way-station, code Beta," Torrens said, his eyes never leaving the five pinpricks heading for Atmos

Jimmy was instantly awake, "Code Beta?" he gulped, "Are you sure, I mean, if we're exposed..." he trailed off

"I know, but the chances are high that they'll detect Lark once they reach the planet, I'm not leaving the granddaughter of my best friend down there to die, or worse, which means we'll need some protection to ensure that when _they_ arrive... they'll agree to let us leave... remember, no one wants to be the one to fire the first _official_ shot," Torrens replied

There was no immediate reply, then Jimmy sighed, "I'll have you connected in a moment Professor."

"Thank you," Torrens replied, before disconnecting, and continuing to stare at the five pinpricks of light

 _I do hope_ _ **he**_ _isn't coming this year, that's a disaster just waiting to happen_

* * *

 _Hegemony Slaver Ship, The Jagged Claw, June 25_ _th_ _, 11:30pm_

The _he_ , Torrens was referring to, was none other than, Lord Repton Corvax, High noble of the Gorvan Hegemony and second in line to the Imperial throne. Currently, Repton was on the bridge of the flagship of his slaver fleet, _The Jagged Claw_

He was overseeing final preparations for the hunt to come as they approached the planet, it would take them about a week to enter orbit and fully prepare. They'd done this hundreds of times already though, they'd grown very efficient at it

The Gorvan's were a reptilian looking species, but their closest cousins were actually that of the Raptor family from the dinosaurs on earth. Indeed, they shared many of the same characteristics, large cranial capacity and eyes, they were bipedal, though Gorvan's had a more upright posture to the ancient Raptors

Jaws full of carnivorous teeth, an incredible sense of smell, and bodies that were designed to be all muscle, built for speed and power, even their tails could be used as weapons, as well as for balance

Repton was a particularly intimidating specimen, standing at six foot six, every inch of his body was rippling with muscle, and covered in a hide of thick scales, which were a dark green in colour, except for the chest, which were a light grey

He had yellow eyes with no whites and a single dark slit down the middle of each, as well as a small frill of spines along the top of his head. He was currently in his noble's tunic, military design, which meant dark green and brown colours

Made of real leather, form the skin of an animal he had personally hunted, it had a tall collar which covered most of his neck, it was buttoned down along his right side, with the buttons curving in towards the middle at the bottom, the buttons were made of precious metals that cost a small fortune on the galactic market

Other than this, the tunic was pretty plain; it was accentuated however with the medals that adorned it, the most prominent of which, was the one clipped directly below the collar. His _Bogaton Star_

It was a five pointed star, hung upside down from the fabric clip, gold in colour and with the words _'Dominatumque Conver Omnis'_ , which translated to, ' _Supremacy, Over All'_ , engraved in a circle around the clawed hand of a Gorvan, clenched into a fist while raised in the air

This was the core of Gorvan society, they firmly believe that _they_ , were the superior species to all, and that the rest of the galaxy should bow down at the feet of the Hegemony and serve them. This made them the centre of the galactic slave trade, a trade that had made the Hegemony incredibly wealthy, wealth which now paid for an every growing military, in response to the rise of the UNE

Repton ground his teeth in frustration at the thought of the upstart humans

First contact with the Gorvan's never usually went well, but most of the time, it was the species _meeting_ the Gorvan's who received the short end of the stick

With the humans however, things had been different

First contact had occurred between a human military vessel, and a Gorvan slave ship. When the humans had discovered _what_ the ship was, they'd been outraged, and had demanded the ship captain to turn over his rightful cargo to them, just so they could release them

Naturally, the captain had refused, and a small skirmish had broken out as a result

More powerful galactic players had stepped in to put a stop to the altercation, but neither side had forgotten the event. The humans had firmly established their anti-slave policy after that, other races already had anti-slave policies in place, but they had never been as vocal about it as the humans had

This simple action had caused a subtle shift in the balance of power

The Galactic Council, the UNE's closest neighbours, had approved of the human's stance on slavery, and had offered an invitation to join them. The humans of course accepted, and in just a few decades, had proven themselves to the point that they were invited into the ruling body of the Galactic Council, becoming its fifth, and newest member

The Gorvan Hegemony saw this as a threat to their own Empire, and the Imperial court decided that action needed to be taken, a military build up had begun to counter the rising power of the UNE. The rest, was history

Now the two races stared each other down, each waiting for the other to blink first. The Hegemony wouldn't take direct action, out of fear of the Galactic Council. Likewise, the UNE kept its peace, because it knew it was no match for the Hegemony alone; they needed Council support, which they would not get, if _they_ were the aggressor

It was a standoff, one that had lasted for nearly a century now

As Repton stared off towards the distant planet, reports were brought to him, which he handled as each arrived. He was just finishing the last, when the door to the bridge opened

Repton didn't have to turn around to see who it was, the speckles of red light that were suddenly cast around the room were clue enough

"How was the view, Red Hawk?" he asked, his voice rough and reptilian, the s, sounding longer than it should

"Spectacular, Master Repton," came the neutral reply, as Red Hawk walked up to stand just to the side, and a little behind him

Repton glanced at his favourite slave

Despite being a member of a lesser species, Repton couldn't deny Red Hawk's beauty, particularly on the hunt. She was a finely honed weapon, a precise instrument, which he was very proud of

Traditionally, slaves needed to be completely indoctrinated before serving their masters. Red Hawk however, had been special. Repton had immediately seen great potential in her, potential that would have been dulled by total indoctrination

Instead, he had personally trained Red Hawk, had shown her the benefits of bowing her head, and the repercussions of disobedience. And she had learned well, coupled with a burning desire to protect the ones she loved on her home planet, she had willingly bowed down to him, and had been loyal ever since

Repton still remembered the first hunt he took her on, Red Hawk had been presented a chance to escape, she had no binder to stop or track her, could have easily gotten away before anyone could react in time to catch her

But she hadn't; instead, she had calmly walked back to his side, turning away from her chance at freedom

Repton's peers could only stare in shock, as Red Hawk had fallen into step behind him, and back aboard their ship

Four years she had served him faithfully, but this would be the ultimate test. After that first hunt, Repton had made the decision to take Red Hawk with him to Atmos for his next Telani hunt. His peers had called him crazy, mad

But Repton was confident, that not even being on her home planet would erode Red Hawk's loyalty to him, and this would prove it. He gave a sly smile as his ship continued on its inexorable approach to Atmos

This year's hunt, would most certainly be an interesting one

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, June 26_ _th_ _, 12:30pm_

Lark had woken before the others, giving her time to work on her Gravitron pack, she felt she'd found a workable solution. She still would not be the fastest flyer, but she had managed to streamline her power efficiency by turning off some of the more redundant systems that just ran in the background anyway

She had also performed a proper adjustment to how the solar panels on her pack worked, making them more efficient, and allowing them to run with some of the safety protocols back in place

All this meant that, after they started off that morning, she'd had a much easier time keeping up, and it showed. Her pack was no longer being taxed quite so much, allowing her to go faster for longer

She still require frequent 'rests' to, 'recharge', but the others didn't seem to mind, they simply assumed that thanks to being a shut in, she wasn't as physically fit as the rest of them. As such, the 'cross country flying' was a challenge for her

But then again, that was what the Fledging was all about, pushing yourself to your limits, and in their eyes, Lark was doing exactly that

They had decided to stop for a small snack lunch next to a crystal clear pool that was being supplied by a cascading waterfall from the top of a cliff. Tall trees grew from the cliff top, and leaned over the edge, like they were looking down on the group below

Aerrow and Finn had changed immediately to their swimming costumes upon their arrival, and had dived head first into the water. Now they were flying a short ways above the water's surface, doing stunts while flying through the cascading water

"Come on in girls!" Finn called, "The water's great!"

"If you think we're changing right where you can see us Finn, your more delusional than you look," Dove called back, while Finn just stuck his tongue out at her

Piper giggled as Dove stalked off, and then turned to Lark, "You coming?"

Lark glanced at the water, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't tempted, unfortunately, she had a cover to maintain. It wasn't like her equipment would short out if it got wet, but her holographic wings would be disrupted by the water, as they relied on light to project them

If the holographic beams were suddenly immersed in tens of thousands of tiny prisms, her wings would start contorting in odd ways, or just fizzle out altogether. Hell, she'd been lucky the weather was looking so nice at the moment, if ever it rained, she'd have to find shelter and quick, though that did give her an idea

"Thanks, but I think I'll stay here, my wings don't do well in water, never have, it's a genetic thing I think," Lark replied

Piper blinked at that response, then a look of pity crossed her face, "So wait, you've never gone swimming before?"

Lark shook her head, "I know how to swim, my parents insisted in case it ever became necessary, but I'd prefer not to, if I don't have to."

Understanding dawned on Piper's face, "Okay, in that case, I'll stay with you," she said

"What, no, Piper please don't deprive yourself just for me, its fine, I don't mind you guys enjoying the water without me, besides we have a whole month to do fun stuff together, so go on, have some fun," Lark quickly interjected

Piper glanced to her, then to the others – Dove had just joined the boys – then back to Lark, "You sure?" she asked, her voice laced with concern

Lark smiled and nodded

"Well okay then," Piper replied as she turned to go, and then glanced over her shoulder, giving Lark a sly smile, "You can be lifeguard."

That got a chuckle out of both of them

A few minutes later, Piper had joined the others, they dove and spun through the waterfall for a bit, then Dove descended to a shallow area to begin cleaning her wings. Meanwhile, Aerrow and Finn, seemed to be discussing something with Piper

Curious, Lark subtly activated her Focus to hear what they were saying

"No way, do you see how tight that cave entrance is," Finn said

Lark peered around, looking for the entrance he spoke of, she soon found it, hidden just behind the waterfall

"I'm telling you, it can be done," Piper replied, "There's an entrance on the cliff top that comes out at that exit," she explained, pointing to the entrance Finn mentioned

"Not that we doubt you Piper, but you were a kid the last time you were here, everything looks bigger when you're a kid," Aerrow stated

Piper folded her arms and smirked at them both, what she said next, almost caused Lark to burst out laughing, "Chicken."

Aerrow and Finn, visibly bristled

"What did you just say?" Finn responded, a small scowl now developing on his features

"Bwack, buck buck, bwack," Piper taunted, using her arms to emulate the wings of a chicken, as the boys faces turned red with a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment, while Lark was desperately trying to hold in her laughter

Aerrow and Finn were both scowling now, before both looked back at the cave entrance, then to the cliff top, then at each other. They both nodded before turning back to Piper

"Chickens we is then," they both said simultaneously, before repeating Piper's actions from a moment ago, causing Lark to finally lose it, Dove wasn't far behind her

Piper just smirked, "Alright then Chickens, you wait here, I'll show you how a real hawk flies." Then, she flew straight up, rising above the waterfall and the cliff, and kept going, until she was well over 100 metres above the cliff top

Lark's laughter died in her throat, Dove too had ceased her amusement, now she was looking concerned. "Tell me she isn't about to do what I think she's about to do?" Lark asked

There was no reply for a moment as they all stared straight up at Piper, then, as one, the other three Telani replied, "Yep, she is."

Without another second's warning, Piper dove, heading straight for the trees that covered the cliff top, building up tremendous speed, with no sign she was going to slow down

The others watched in mute horror and fascination as she descended at breakneck speed for the tree tops

Then she jinked to her left, pulling her wings in at the last moment, and passing through a hole in the crisscrossing canopy, and into the forest below. While the others lost sight of her, Lark was able to follow Piper's progress with her Focus

Her mouth opened in awe as she watched Piper duck dodge and weave between the branches of the trees, then dropped through a sinkhole, into the cliff side itself. Now she was dodging stalagmites and stalactites, making hairpin turns, all while maintaining her incredible speed

Then she was racing for the exit, Lark saw how tight it was, she'd have no room to manoeuvre whatsoever. Piper once again, tucked her wings in close, relying on her speed and careful angling of her wings to keep her in the air, her control was incredible

Then she flew through the exit, and straight into the waterfall, bursting through it in a cascade of water, the sunlight glinting off the water droplets around her, and off her feathers. The whole effect gave her a blue aura, that looked... very familiar to Lark, but before she could place it, the aura was gone, and Piper had descended, panting to the water's edge

They all rushed over to her

"Spirits Piper, that was incredible!" Aerrow exclaimed

Piper chuckled, "Thanks, I haven't done that in years, and you were right, it was smaller than I remember."

That got a nervous chuckle out of all of them

"You're not hurt are you?" Dove asked

Piper shook her head, "I'm fine Dove, never even touched the sides," she replied with a wry smile

 _I can attest to that_ , Lark thought

After that, they broke out some food and lounged on the bank, Lark and Piper sat together. Lark was still amazed at what Piper had just done

"How did you even know about that cave system?" she asked

"Starling showed me," Piper replied

Lark glanced at Piper, seeing a faraway look in the young Telani's eyes, "Her, me and Dad used to come out here on camping trips, both as a fun family outing, and also as preparation for the Fledging," she explained, then waved her hand around the area they were now in. "This was one of our favourite camping spots, we would come here at least once a year, every year, until..."

Piper trailed off, she didn't have to finish for Lark to know what the end of that sentence was

"You haven't been back since then?" Lark asked

Piper shook her head, "No, it just didn't feel right without her."

"Why come back now?"

Piper took a breath, then looked around, "Before she left on her Fledging, Starling told me she and her friends were going to come here," Piper said, "I wanted to retrace her steps, figured that was the best way to find some clue as to what happened to her."

Silence settled between them, before Piper sighed, and broke it, "So far though, nothing, maybe Dove's right, maybe there's nothing left to find."

Lark glanced at Piper, saw the look of despair on her face, _I need to do something, she needs closure, and maybe pursuing this, will answer some of the unexplained questions about the Fledging, and these disappearances_

"It's been one day Piper, you going to give up after one day?" Lark asked, being careful not to look at Piper, and keeping her face hiding from Piper as well

She could feel Piper bristle at her side though, "No, it's just... it's been four years, whatever might have been left to find, has probably been claimed by nature now."

"Not necessarily, nature works slowly, there might still be something," Lark now turned to look at Piper, who appeared deep in thought. "Where was her last campsite located?"

Piper blinked and looked up at Lark, "I don't know," she replied, then saw Lark give her a wry smile, while glancing over her shoulder, towards the others. Piper took a glance too, then returned Lark's wry smile, "But I know who does."

* * *

 _UNE Stealth Station Orion, June 26_ _th_ _, 1:15pm_

"Admiral, I understand the situation believe me I do, but this is a special case, please you have to make an exception, if we don't intervene then things could spiral out of control and we could have a war on our hands where _we're_ seen as the aggressors," Torrens said over his private Comm

He listened silently to the Admiral's reply

"Very well sir, I understand, yes, we'll remain on standby until we hear back from you, thank you Admiral."

With that, he hung up, before running a hand down his face, two days of no sleep had really done a number on him

"Professor, sir, you need to get some rest," Jimmy said

Torrens nodded, "You're right, I've done all I can, rest is what's best now."

With that, Professor Torrens stood to leaves the communications hub. As he reached the door, Jimmy spoke up, "What did the Admiral say?"

Torrens paused at the door, he didn't turn back as he answered, "He needs to pull some strings, we can't expect any back up till the end of the week."

The silence seemed to stretch out, before Jimmy answered, "That might be too late for Lark."

Torrens sighed, "I know." With that, he walked out and back to his quarters, all he could do now, was pray

* * *

 **And that closes out Chapter 2, hope you all enjoyed and please don't forget to leave your thoughts in a review, it really helps me get better  
**

 **I'll see you all next time ; )**


	3. Chapter 3

****DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely cause I want it to,**** **Additionally, credit to cover image goes to Mythorie over on Deviant Art, your awesome mate**

 **I hope you guys have the popcorn and snacks ready cause this is a LONG one!**

 **I seriously thought about splitting this one, but the only good points to do so meant one part would be longer than the other by a LONG way, and I didn't want to do that, so make sure you find yourself some decent time to read this chapter**

 **Now, moving on to the important stuff**

 **I would suggest looking up Biotic and Kinetic barriers from the Mass Effect Wiki for this one, as well as Biotic powers in general**

 **Also, for a visual aid for the UNE shuttle, look up Terran Alliance shuttle from Mass Effect**

 **For the Gorvan ships, pods etc, imagine someone taking a dark silver metal, and fashioning it into jagged looking shards or spears, meant to be thrown at the enemy**

 **For the armour, I would again suggest the Mass Effect Wiki, but for Repton's in particular, think HEAVY Medieval knight, given a futuristic flare, while for Red Hawk (glares at people who already know who she is) and Black Hawk (glares at people who think I'm being racist, 'We'll get back to this one'), think N7 armour, but lighter, and closer to a skin tight body suit with armour plates attached here and there**

 **Now to the names of the Hunter Hawks**

 **Please remember, the Gorvan consider them slaves, as well as lesser species, they aren't going to let them keep their real names, so the Gorvan name them for the colour of their wings, I' am DEAD serious (you'll see later)**

 **And I think that's everything, so - oh wait, STG is a Salarian special task force, head to Mass Effect Wiki for more**

 ** **WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS THEMES OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND SLAVERY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR PREVIOUS PAGE****

 ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all, Welcome back to... Stellaris, Book 1: The Fledging****

 _ **Blurb:**_

 **On the planet of Atmos, the Telani people prepare for their annual tradition known as the Fledging, a journey undertaken by Telani about to enter adulthood. On this journey we follow a group of young Telani – Piper, Aerrow, Finn and their older peer, Dove – excited to begin their Fledging. However, unbeknownst to them, they have an unexpected guest, a Human, called Lark Cyclonis, secretly visiting their planet, studying their people and culture**

 **Together they depart on the Fledging, all the while unaware of the shadow that looms over Atmos, and is due to strike again. When it does, the youngsters are flung into a Galaxy of danger, meeting new people, both friends, and enemies, and reuniting with long lost loved ones. The young Telani of Atmos are about to find out, that their world is so much bigger than they could have possibly imagined**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: "I Solemnly Swear,"**_

 _Forest of Atmosia_

"Observation log 3, date, July 1st, 5:00pm, we're about a week in to the Fledging and I've already learned so much. Not just about the tradition itself, but also my companions, their lives, and potential futures."

Lark gazed out over the forest below her from her perch at the top of a tall tree, standing in a sea of green, her eyes were drawn to her companions who were busy foraging the tree tops for their evening meal

"For the Telani of Atmosia, the Skyknights are everything, honour bound protectors of the entire planet, peacekeepers and law givers, they watch themselves as much as the other clans, their eternal duty being to protect the Telani from all threats, both without and within."

Lark mused on the irony of the current situation, for the last three centuries, _something_ , or – as Lark was beginning to suspect – _someone_ , was causing Telani teenagers to disappear from their home. With no clue as to what was causing it, the Skyknights had no way to combat or counter whatever it was that was happening

Lark shook herself from those morbid thoughts, and returned to her observations. "Though many Telani of Atmosia do become the equivalent of 'Honour bound Knights of the Realm', that is not the only path open to young Telani born to the Atmosia clan."

Lark spotted a flash of blue as Piper zipped by, heading for a nearby plateau where their campsite was located, carrying an armful of fruits, nuts and berries

Lark gave a small smile as she remembered what each of her new friends wanted to be when they became full adults. "Finn, for instance, wants to follow his father's example and become a lawyer, this not only keeps to the core traditions of the Skyknights, but also allows for variety in the society as well, not every peacekeeper has to wear armour and swing a sword."

Lark saw a flash of red just in time to cover her recorder from Aerrow's sight as he flew by, a brace of fish hanging from his belt as he flew back to camp to begin cooking them

"While Aerrow, is going the more traditional route, following in his father's footsteps. Though the position of Leader of the Skyknights is not hereditary, it has been known to pass from father to son in the past, as long as that son is favoured by the Skyknight council, which requires he be just, honourable, courageous, and strong, in body, mind, and heart. Which in my own personal opinion, Aerrow is, and more."

Lark's gaze slowly moved to Dove, who was gathering firewood for the night, her heart ached as she remembered what Dove had told her. "Dove is following a path that is rare among Telani, it only happens when two Telani – who may be unrelated or not – are as close as kin," Lark paused as Dove flew overhead, she gave Lark a small nod, which Lark returned

"Dove is following her friend Starling's path in her stead, determined to become the greatest Skyknight the Atmos has ever seen, I believe the name for this path is ' _Vinr'_ , though I'm not sure I heard it correctly, because all my translator comes up with for that word is, _'Friend'_."

Lark glanced back at Dove as she landed at camp, brow furrowed in thought, "However, it would make sense, while Dove hasn't said much about her friendship between her and Starling, I get the feeling they were very close, almost like Dove was a second sister to Starling," Lark trailed off as she looked to Piper again, "And the only sister Dove had, losing her must have hit her as hard as it had Starling's family."

Lark then turned to look out over the forest again, "As for Piper, she's going a very different route, one that I'm all too familiar with," Lark's gaze now moves skywards, "She wants to explore, to find the limits of this world, and then break them, I can't begin to tell you how many hours of footage I have of Piper describing ideas to me that sound a lot like early space travel."

A small smile graced Lark's lips, "She wants to see the stars, find new worlds, new life, unlike most of her people – who are content where they are – she yearns to see what is beyond the confines of this world." Lark chuckled, "Be careful what you wish for Piper, you might just get it."

Lark sighed and prepared to end today's recording session, "I'm only a week into the Fledging, but I'm tempted to return now, these people are clearly ready for first contact. Their government is stable, just and efficient, and while they don't have a military per say, they do have the Skyknights, which could become an elite force to rival that of the STG, or even the Spectres themselves. Despite the fact that their people are split between different clans, each with its own unique culture and specialisation, they cooperate, and are kind and respectful to one another, which is more than can be said for Humans. Nearly 5 centuries of racism, and though it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be, there are still those few individuals among my kind, who just can't seem to let it go."

Lark lay back against the trunk of the tree she was in, remembering to splay her holographic wings out, as a normal Telani would

"So far, the Telani have proven that, at least socially, they're a far superior species to Humans, and indeed many others I know, including some of humanities peers, like the Turians, Salarians and Asari. In fact, I find it strange that they _haven't_ become a Faster than Light capable species, it's almost like... something is holding them back."

Lark's thoughts were dragged back to the conversation almost a week ago, where Aerrow and the others had talked about evil spirits, which hunted every large animal on the planet, including the Telani

 _But that makes_ _ **no**_ _sense; science has definitively disproven the existence of ghosts and spirits... Divine beings... 'maybe' science says, it would be impossible to prove anyway... but ghosts, spirits... no, it had to be something... or someone, else... but then that implies that this planet is known to others, not just the Alpha Centauri Academy... does the Academy know?... and if they do... why haven't they done anything about it?_

"Lark, dinners ready!" Piper called out, derailing her train of thought

"Be there in a minute!" Lark called back, Piper nodded, then turned back towards the others

Lark began packing away the few things she had taken out, as she finished today's log, "We arrive at Starling's last campsite tomorrow, hopefully there'll be answers there, if not... then I have to speak with Professor Torrens... soon."

Lark ended the recording, and slung her pack onto her back, before flying the short distance to the plateau, and her new friends

* * *

 _Hegemony Slaver Ship, the Jagged Claw, training room, July 1_ _st_ _, 5:30pm_

Repton and Red Hawk walked into the training room, the majority of it was taken up by Repton's Stalkers, fellow Gorvans who worked for him in his slaver fleet. They were all his most capable and loyal men to be serving aboard his flagship

At the centre though, was the training ring for his Hunter Hawks, Telani who'd been trained to fight for him, to hunt other lesser species, including their own kind, all were fully indoctrinated, their minds bent to Repton's will

Currently, five Hawks sat around the mat, all looking a little worse for wear, they'd just finished sparring against Grey Hawk, an old Hawk that had belonged to Repton's father, and whom Repton had inherited upon his father's death

Grey Hawk was a veteran of 100's of hunts, across multiple worlds, despite now being in his old age, he was still physically fit, Repton's father had poured a lot of credits into keeping him that way. Repton no longer took the old Hawk on hunts, too much of a liability, particularly as his indoctrination was for Repton's father, and not Repton

However, he made a useful trainer for his new Hunter Hawks, his experience and skill were second to none, and he was the only other Hunter Hawk, besides Red, whom he let roam around the ship. Unlike Red though, Grey was tracked 24/7, just in case

Grey had taught Red everything he knew about combat, before Repton had taken over her training. Grey and Red had sparred once, at the end of her training, she had beaten him, and to this day, was the only Hunter Hawk in Repton's Slaver fleet to do so

Now Repton and Red watched as Grey squared up against a new opponent, he was a tall, young Telani, he had not an ounce of fat on him, just muscle. His eyes were a dark reddish brown, and his hair was as black as night, his wings shared this colour, resembling two great shadows stretching out from him to consume all. His name was Black Hawk, and he was the most viscous, strong and relentless Hawk in Repton's arsenal

Only Red had proved superior to him, being the only Hawk to beat Grey

Another Gorvan took up position on Repton's left; it was Horek, the handler for Repton's Hunter Hawks. "My lord," Horek greeted with a small bow

"Horek, how are things proceeding?" Repton asked

"We should be ready first thing tomorrow morning, the recovery tanks are prepped to ensure that even after today's sparring, all Hunter Hawks should be fit and ready to go," Horek answered

Repton nodded approvingly, they'd taken up a stealth orbit over Atmos just this morning, and he was itching to get to the surface and begin the hunt. Repton then gave a nod to Horek, who turned to the two Hawks on the sparring mat

"BEGIN!"

Black Hawk let out a roar as he shot forward, a wild but powerful swing aimed at Grey's head. Grey anticipated the move however, and blocked it, before delivering a solid blow to Black's solar plexus

Black staggered backwards, but quickly recovered, throwing up a defence just in time to meet Grey's counter attack

The two twisted and spun on the mat, using their wings as much as their fists and feet to subdue their opponent

"Impressive," Repton noted as he observed Black Hawk's power in the fight

"He's the strongest Hawk in the fleet," Horek agreed nodding, "Only Red here matches him, but that's because she compliments her power with cunning and intelligence, she may never be as strong as Black without enhancements, but the small amount of freedom you allow her means she can compensate for that shortcoming."

Repton glanced at Red as Horek spoke, she gave no reaction to the mention that she was not fully indoctrinated, she had always known of course, and yet it didn't change the fact that she was more loyal to him than the fully indoctrinated Hawks, hell she was more loyal than even the Gorvans who worked for him, and her small freedoms were his show of gratitude for that loyalty

On the mat, Black Hawk unleashed a furious volley of attacks that Grey was only just able to defend against, before they broke off and began to circle one another

"Do you think Black could win against Red?" Repton asked

That got a reaction, out the corner of his eye, Repton saw a slight twitch from Red, then Horek replied

"Possibly, depends on whether or not he can beat Grey, Red is the only one who's been able to beat the old Hawk, if Black was to repeat her success..." Horek trailed off as the fight took an unexpected turn

Black Hawk suddenly lunged, as if repeating his first attack, Grey readied to counter. Then Black Hawk flicked his wings up, dropping him back to the mat, sliding underneath Grey's guard. Before Grey could react, Black swiped him off his feet

The moment Grey landed, Black was upon him, delivering blow after blow to the old Hawk, pure rage and bloodlust in his eyes

Horek stepped forward to break it up, but Repton held up a hand to stop him, his eyes gleaming, and a predatory smile stretching his scaly lips

Red Hawk glanced at her master, then back to Grey, concern filling her eyes, Grey Hawk was a friend of hers, and she didn't want to see him killed. It wasn't up to her though, if Repton wanted to watch one Hawk kill another, it would happen. So she could only watch helplessly as Grey desperately tried to shield his face from Black's blows

Finally, Repton gave a nod, and Horek rushed in with his assistants to break up the fight, they pulled Black Hawk from Grey. The former lashed out at the Gorvans initially, until Horek barked a command, and Black stopped, his stance relaxing

Grey Hawk's face was bloody, and one wing was bent in an awkward way from the fall, Horek and two of his assistants began looking him over

"Will he recover?" Repton asked, his eyes remaining locked on Black Hawk

"Yes, but not for some months," Horek replied

Repton finally tore his gaze away from Black Hawk, and looked to Grey instead, "Looks like your fighting days are over Grey, we'll assess your remaining usefulness upon our return to Bogaton."

Grey Hawk nodded and bowed his head silently, then he was lead away by Horek's assistants

Repton now turned to Black Hawk, who stood panting where he'd been placed, Repton walked up to stand in front of him, eyeing him carefully. "As for you Black, congratulations, you are now the lead Hawk of my Flagship's pack, second only to my personal Hawk, Red," Repton said, smiling

Black Hawk smiled back, before bowing low, "Thank you master, I shall not disappoint."

"See that you don't," Repton replied nodding, before turning on his heel and beginning to march out, "Get them all cleaned up and ready for tomorrow Horek, I want a perfect hunt."

"Yes my Lord," Horek called back, before barking orders to the Hawks and his assistants

Red glanced back to Black, their eyes locking, ever since they'd become Repton's property they'd been rivals, now, it looked as if that rivalry would only escalate. Black Hawk was one step away from being their master's most favoured Hunter Hawk, and he would stop at nothing to achieve that goal

 _If he does, there goes what little freedom I have left, my indoctrination will be completed, and I'll become just like the others, a caged bird, bent to my master's will_

Then the door to the training room closed behind her, and Black was lost from view

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 1_ _st_ _, 6:00pm_

"Sorry I didn't help this evening, this food was great though, thanks," Lark said as they finished dinner

"You cooked dinner by yourself yesterday," Piper said, "Caught it too, so consider us even."

Dove nodded, "Besides, today was a tough flight with that headwind, you deserved the rest."

Lark smiled at that, before stretching, "Guess we should hit the sack, we want to be up early tomorrow so we reach Starling's last campsite in good time, we want as much time to search the area as possible."

Piper nodded, while Finn and Aerrow shrugged their shoulders, Dove meanwhile looked pensive. "Are you sure about this Piper?"

Piper took a moment before replying, "Yes, I'm sure."

"Even though there could be nothing left to find," Dove continued

Piper merely nodded, "I have to at least try, I can't just give up without trying, I made a promise."

All eyes now turned to Dove, who heaved a heavy sigh, "Alright, then let's get to bed, early start tomorrow."

No one argued, and soon, everyone was tucked away in their sleeping bags, no tents today, the plateau was too small and the rock too hard for them, but the skies were clear, so it wasn't a problem

Lark and Piper lay gazing up at the stars above, neither spoke for a while, just enjoying each other's company as they observed the heavens

Piper finally broke the silence with her quite voice, "I forgot how much brighter they are out here."

"They are beautiful," Lark agreed

Piper glanced at Lark, "You ever wondered what's out there, among them, what worlds might be waiting for us out there, if they have people like us, or maybe not like us, maybe they look completely different?"

 _Oh the irony_

"All the time," Lark replied truthfully, it had always been her dream to do something like this, discover a new world, and a new form of life. Atmos might not have been her discovery, but it was still thrilling to be here

"I wish we could leave this world, fly higher than any other Telani has flown, and see what's out there, what an adventure that would be," Piper sighed

Now it was Lark's turn to glance at Piper, "You aren't afraid, there could be many dangers out there?"

Piper nodded, "I know, but no I'm not afraid."

Lark raised an eyebrow, causing Piper to chuckle, "Okay, maybe a little, but honestly, the thought of meeting a new species, talking to them, making new friends, on new worlds, witnessing the wonders of the galaxy... that would be worth all the risk, and all the fear in the universe."

 _She really is an explorer, just like me, just like grandmother, I wonder..._

"Piper, what would you say, or do, if you were to meet an alien right now?" Lark asked

Piper didn't answer for a few moments, Lark glanced at her and saw a thoughtful look on her face

Finally, Piper spoke, "I guess it would depend on their intentions, are they friendly, are they hostile, are they curious, shy, indifferent."

"Let's go with friendly," Lark said

Piper's face once again scrunched in thought, then she smiled as she answered, "I'd offer my friendship in return, learn all I could about them, not just their species, but who _they_ are as a person."

"Even though they could be manipulating you," Lark stated

Piper's brow furrowed at that, "What do you mean?" she asked, turning her head to look at Lark

"They could be lying to you, trying to gain your trust, only to betray you down the line, how would you react to that if you found out?" Lark explained

Piper didn't answer immediately, instead, staring at Lark thoughtfully, "What's with this line of questions Lark?"

Lark tensed, _she suspects something_

She glanced at the others, relieved to see they were fast asleep. She sat up, crossing her legs, and turned to face Piper, "I'll make you a deal Piper, answer my questions first, and I'll answer yours, okay."

Piper's brow furrowed as she sat up herself, facing Lark, searching her face for some kind of clue as to what was going on

"Alright," she finally said, "So long as you promise to answer my questions afterwards."

Lark nodded, "I promise Piper, on my grandmother's grave."

Piper nodded, then thought back to Lark's earlier question, "If they were lying to me, I'd be hurt, but if they had a good reason for the lie, I could see my way to forgiving them... if they used the lie to betray me however... that would be different... I don't think I could forgive that."

"Good," Lark said, causing Piper to look up at her, surprised, before Lark continued, "Trust is a difficult thing to earn, you need to be careful who you trust Piper... but there is one thing you can trust above all others."

"What's that?"

"Your instincts, if their good, they'll never lead you astray," Lark paused here as she considered her next question. "Let's say you meet two aliens, one was hostile, the other wasn't, but the latter had already tricked you – purely out of necessity – and now offered to help you... would you trust that alien, would you put your life in its hands?"

Piper stared at Lark, her eyes filling with an emotion Lark was not pleased to see, distrust, _she definitely suspects something_

Finally, Piper answered, "I don't know, it depends on the situation, if I thought I could get out of it myself, I think I might refuse the offer, but only if I was confident of getting out without it... but if I had no other choice... then yes... but only to an extent... I'd remain suspicious... I wouldn't drop my guard... at least, not until we were safe."

Lark nodded again, releasing a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. _She's doing so well, just one more question, one more, and I'll know whether or not I should tell her the truth_

"Okay, let's say you found an alien lying injured on the ground, they'll die without medical help... however, you know that if this alien was fit and healthy, they would kill you without a second thought... what do you do?"

Piper stared at Lark, then her gaze moved to the star filled sky above, the lights twinkling in her amber eyes. Finally she spoke, "I don't know, the right thing to do would be to help of course, but if doing the right thing means that alien would then kill me and others like me, then that would be wrong... I suppose I could hope that helping the alien would make it question whether or not to kill me... but I honestly don't know."

Lark sighed; it had been worth a shot

She turned away, looking out over the trees, she inevitably heard Piper's voice, "Okay, your turn, what's with this line of questions?"

"Just something I read once, some old philosopher's thoughts on first contact with another species, which no one remembers, it just came to mind," Lark answered, the half truth rolling easily off the tongue. Her eyes however, told a different story, which was why she'd turned away, so Piper couldn't see them

Piper meanwhile looked at Lark curiously, then she shrugged and lay back down, "Alright then, goodnight Lark," she said

"Goodnight Piper," Lark replied, still not turning around

As she heard Piper's breathing become regular, her gaze pulled skyward, _their so close, but something_ _ **is**_ _holding them back, if they were ready, if_ _ **Piper**_ _was ready, she would have answered, 'I would help,' because that's what you do, that's what separates a species like Piper's from those who've achieved space flight. Helping others, even your enemies, even when it could kill you, that's not naiveté, its being kind, just kind, it doesn't have to be right, or easy... it doesn't even have to work, all that matters, is that it's kind, and decent_

A tear trailed down Lark's cheek as her grandmother's first lesson came back to her, according to her, she had learned it from someone else, someone she had said was the original teacher of this lesson. Well, this lesson had become the corner stone for UNE first contact protocols, if it was believed that a newly discovered species could show kindness, even to those it considered its enemies, then they were ready

 _The Telani are so close, Piper is so close, there's just one more hurdle, just one more_

Lark wiped her tears away, before glancing at Piper and the others, _maybe doing this was a mistake, maybe Torrens is right, but I'm committed now, I will see it through to the end_

With that, she lay back down, and went to sleep

* * *

 _Hegemony Slaver ship, the Jagged Claw, July 1_ _st_ _, 7:30pm_

Red Hawk stood once more on the observation deck, gazing down at the planet below, _Atmos, home, so close_

Red Hawk knew very few Telani had ever seen this view of the planet, it was...

"Beautiful," Red Hawk turned at the sound of the familiar voice, and smiled at the owner

"Grey, your alright?" she asked

Grey nodded as he came and stood next to her, his face was bandaged and his left wing was supported by a sling, "The young Hawk has quite the arm on him, but I'll live... for now."

The words carried heavy implications; slaves who could not do their jobs were destined for one place, the slaughter houses

Red Hawk shuddered at the thought of ending up there, her stomach threatening to heave its contents

Grey Hawk however showed no such discomfort, fully indoctrinated as he was, that fate would simply be another service to his master, the final service

"Your freedom is both a blessing and curse Red," Grey stated

"I know," Red replied

"There's nothing stopping you, why don't you just grab a shuttle and leave, run to the surface, warn them, before it's too late?" Grey asked

Red was silent for a moment, glancing out of the corners of her eyes, she finally found what she was looking for. Repton stood directly behind her, she could only just make out his reflection in the glass, positioned as he was below a bright light

She prepared to answer as she had always done, this was not the first time they'd had this dance

"What would be the point, there's no way they could win against them, they'd just be slaughtered, and those that aren't would become slaves in turn, there's no way we can stop them, so why cause ourselves more pain."

"Don't you feel tortured though, to be so close, to have the chance to see your family again dangled before your eyes?" Grey asked

Red nodded, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, "Of course I do, like you said, blessing, and curse, can't have one without the other, I wouldn't trade it for anything though, if it means I get to protect my family, I will gladly swallow my pride and bear any torment."

As she finished speaking, Red felt a clawed hand settle on her shoulder, she resisted the urge to shudder

"Leave us," Repton ordered Grey

The old Hawk nodded, bowed, and left

Once they were alone, Repton spoke, "Tomorrow you will hunt your own kind Red, you shall not waver, you shall not question, and you shall not hesitate."

Red simply nodded

"You know I value your loyalty, far better it is to have a slave who is willing... I trust you know what will happen if you disobey me down there?"

Another nod

"Good," Repton said, "Go and get some rest Red, you're going to need it."

Red turned to Repton – who took a step back – then she bowed to him, before leaving the observation deck

Repton watched her go, before turning back to the view of the planet, a slow toothy grin spreading across his face

 _Fools, all of them, this planet is my greatest asset, the weapon I will use to conquer the galaxy... first, I need control of the Hegemony, and that day is drawing nearer and nearer, with every year_

Repton then turned from the view, the tails of his tunic swishing about him as he marched from the room; he had a hunt to prepare

* * *

 _UNE Stealth Station Orion, July 2_ _nd_ _, 3:00am_

"Professor, Professor, wake up," Jimmy hissed in Torrens' ear as he gently shook his shoulder

"Hmm, what," Torrens responded as he jolted awake, before his eyes brought Jimmy into focus, "Jimmy, what is it?" he asked tiredly

"It's the Admiral, he's on the line, he wants to speak with you," Jimmy hissed

Torrens was instantly awake

They quietly left his cabin and the sleeping quarters of the station, and made their way to the communication hub

A blinking Focus lay on one of the tables, Torrens picked it up and was immediately connected to the Admiral, who appeared in front of him, in a holographic 3D representation. Torrens noticed the Focus was set to public, he glanced at Jimmy, but the Admiral spoke first

"There isn't time for subtlety Professor, besides, it's not like he doesn't know already," he said

Torrens nodded, "What do you have for us Admiral?"

"I've been authorised by the Council to redirect a nearby patrol fleet to your position, they'll be there today at 11:00am sharp," the Admiral replied

"Their jumping straight to the planet?" Jimmy asked concerned

The Admiral nodded, "There isn't time to do this safely, they've prepped all safety precautions and have a route plotted to take advantage of the gravity wells, rather than fight them. It'll still be risky, but the captain of the fleet is confident that they can make it with minimal damage."

Torrens heaved a sigh of relief, "Thank you for this Admiral... I imagine I will have some explaining to do to the Council."

The Admiral nodded, "I'm afraid so, I hope you have your piece ready, they're not all that keen about scuffing the Gorvan's scales."

"I have everything thought out, and a plan to extract Lark, don't worry Admiral, I won't waste this chance and I won't screw it up, you have my word," Torrens replied

"Good, in that case I'll let you be, Admiral Hackett out," the Admiral replied, before cutting the connection

Torrens heaved another sigh of relief, this time collapsing into a chair and running a hand over his face. Jimmy stood by, still slightly concerned, then Torrens spoke, "Jimmy, wake the others, we need to get ready, we'll likely have to abandon this station, so I don't want a single piece of data left behind."

"Yes sir," Jimmy replied

"Have the feeds from the cameras we placed redirected to our ship, and load all of the equipment we can take with us onto it, along with all the samples we've taken," another affirmative followed this. "Then have the shuttle prepped," this caused Jimmy to pause on his way out, and he turned to look at the Professor

"The shuttle sir?"

Torrens nodded, "I'm going to go get Lark myself, I'll need a ride, make sure the stealth systems are working, I don't want to get shot out of the sky before I reach her."

Jimmy just nodded, before leaving to carry out his orders

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 7:00am_

Lark, as was usual, woke first and had breakfast prepared as the others woke up, just a collection of cleaned fruits, berries and nuts today, they had somewhere they needed to be, so there was no time for a long meal, they could make up for it at lunch time

After that, they were in the air, following Dove as she lead them to the last campsite Starling and her friends had made

They flew for about an hour, before Dove began to descend, and landed in a clearing in the forest below. The others were right behind her, touching down lightly

"This is it?" Finn asked, looking round at the clearing, there was nothing to suggest anyone had been here

"Yes, it is, after it was found, all the equipment was taken back to Atmosia for examination, to try and find some clue as to what happened... but they didn't find anything," Dove answered

She then turned to Piper, "Now do you see, there's nothing here, there's never _anything_ left behind that might tell us what happened, only questions, with no answers."

Piper stared round at the clearing, clearly disheartened by all this, until Lark stepped in

"Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it's not there," she said, laying a hand on Piper's shoulder

Piper glanced at her, a hopeful look filling her eyes

"Come on, let's at least have a look around, maybe we'll find something that was missed," Lark suggested

Dove sighed irritably, while the boys just shrugged their shoulders, and Piper nodded, smiling

They began their search, turning over every leaf, every rock, looking for some clue

As they searched, Dove slowly made her way to Lark, once they were searching in the same spot she spoke

"What are you doing?" she hissed

"Trying to give Piper some closure," Lark replied, never taking her eyes off the ground, utilising her focus she was able to make out a lot of tracks in the dirt, old tracks yes, but tracks none the less, her Focus was currently working on separating them all, determining the age of each to find the ones she was looking for

"She's had closure, her sister disappeared four years ago, and now your digging it back up, pushing her, why!?" Dove growled

Lark glanced at the young Telani woman, seeing that her face was impassive, but her eyes were burning with emotion, anger, hurt, and sorrow

"One, Piper _doesn't_ have closure, or she wouldn't be out here looking, it might have been my idea to come _here_ , but Piper fully intended on following her sisters footsteps to try and find some clue, that doesn't sound like closure to me."

Dove bristled at that, but Lark continued before she could speak

"Two, this isn't _just_ about Piper, is it?"

Dove blinked, a look of shock coming over her features

"You don't like being reminded that Starlings gone, do you?"

Dove flinched this time, and turned away

"There it is again, you always do that every time she's mentioned, you _hate_ being reminded that she's gone. Oh you talk about her like she was a goddess, it's clear you think the world of her... that you love her."

Dove whirled back around, her eyes wet with tears, but Lark wasn't looking at her, she'd gone back to examining the ground

"How... how long have you known?" she asked

Lark didn't bother looking up, "I've suspected for a few days, but it only just occurred to me," she paused as she straightened back up to look Dove in the eye. "You loved her... as a friend... as a sister... and maybe more... and then she disappeared, never to be seen again, and it tore your heart out... now every time you're reminded of that fact, it feels like someone's stabbing you in the heart."

The tears were now running down Dove's cheeks as she stared at Lark, "How could you possibly know that?"

Lark sighed and looked up at the sky, "My feelings for my grandmother, weren't the same as yours for Starling, but my pain is, every time I remember she's gone, it feels like a stab to the heart... she was the only member of my family that actually thought I would go on to do something great... my father and mother never showed me that kind of affection... they would have been perfectly content if I stayed home and then married some rich business man and lived the life of a house wife."

Lark now looked to Dove, "I've never _loved_ someone like you have, but my grandmother still meant _everything_ to me, so believe me when I say, I know how you feel."

Dove stared at Lark in shock for a moment, then sighed as she wiped her eyes and turned half back around. "When we heard what happened... I wanted to die... kill myself... the only thing that stopped me is knowing that Starling was just missing... there was no way to know if she was dead or not... so what good would dying have done... if it didn't reunite me with her."

"That's why you decided to follow her path, to become the best Skyknight you could be," Lark stated, Dove nodded in reply

"It was the only way I could be close to her," she said, now struggling to hold back her sobs

Lark laid a hand on Dove's shoulder, standing in silence with her. She was about to say something else, when Piper gave a cry

Both whipped round to find Piper on her knees, digging something out of the packed dirt

"What is it Piper?" Aerrow asked, as he and Finn came over

Dove and Lark approached as well, just as Piper pulled whatever it was she found from the dirt, giving a crow of triumph

Lark was shocked to see a Focus in her hand

"A pebble?" Dove asked confused as to why Piper was so happy

Piper shook her head, and turned the Focus over, showing the curved side, which had a fading, blue symbol painted on it

Everyone looked at her confused, Piper just rolled her eyes, "It's my name," she said enthusiastically

Everyone shared another confused look, while Piper sighed, "When we were little, me and Starling made our own language. We would use it if we ever got lost while out camping with our dad, leaving it in places we could see," Piper explained

She then held up the Focus, showing them the faded symbol, "This is my name, Starling must have been writing a message for me, see if you can find anymore."

They all immediately dispersed to begin searching

"So if you and Starling made this language while you were camping, how come your dad didn't know, this seems like the sort of thing he'd pick up on while he was searching here four years ago?" Aerrow asked

"We never told him, the idea was that at least one of us would be with him, and we never actually had to use it for real, it was just a precaution," Piper replied

"You think Starling had time to write you a message about what happened before she disappeared?" Dove asked

"Maybe, there's only one way to know," Piper answered, and continued to search

But after a further half hour of searching, they found nothing

"Piper, there's nothing here," Finn said

"No, there has to be, there has to be something!" Piper exclaimed desperately

The others watched her scrabble around in the dirt, looking for another pebble with a strange symbol on it. Slowly they all looked to Lark, who sighed, and approached Piper

She laid a hand on Piper's shoulder, causing the girl to freeze, "I'm sorry Piper, I'm so sorry."

Piper stayed stock still for several moments, then she collapsed back onto her legs, her shoulders shaking from her sobs, her wings drooping down on either side of her

No one spoke as Piper shed her grief, waiting respectfully

Finally, Piper recovered, and sat up straighter, she then looked down at the Focus in her hand, at the symbol of her name. From the brush strokes, it had clearly been painted with a feather, the implications of which were many

 _Either Starling was desperate, or it wasn't even a cry for help, she may have just been making a keepsake for her little sister, and used one of her own feathers to do it_

Piper then stroked the Focus with her thumb, before Lark could stop her, she hit the sweet spot, and the Focus erupted to life

A brilliant blue hologram filled the entire clearing, with the focus at its centre. And there, sitting directly in front of Piper, was Starling

Piper's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and in Lark's peripheral vision, she saw Dove become weak in the knees

"S-Starling," Piper stammered, reaching out for her sister, only for her hand to pass straight through her

"What's going on here?" Aerrow questioned

Suddenly, the clearing was filled with more holograms. Five tents appeared where they had already found old traces of the peg holes used to place them. And at least half a dozen more Telani appeared throughout the clearing as well, two of them seated on either side of Starling, one male, the other female

The female spoke first, "So... what exactly is it you're doing?"

"I'm making a souvenir for Piper, I did promise her one after all," Starling said, using a purple feather – the same colour as her wings – to paint a blue pigment, onto the focus, which was in her hands. By pure chance, Piper had collapsed with it, in the exact spot Starling had held it when this had been recorded

 _Starling probably didn't even realise that she'd turned it on when she began painting it_ , Lark thought. She glanced at Piper, and saw the tears running down her cheeks; _does she even know that this is just a recording?_

The male now spoke, "You're painting a pebble, to give to your sister?" he drawled

Starling sighed, "Yes Ace, now buzz off," she replied, flicking a wing at him irritably

Far from being deterred though, Ace now laughed, "And you want to be the best Skyknight the Atmos has seen, oh that's rich, how could you possible do that when you're so sappy."

Now a look of annoyance crossed over Starling's face, "Being a Skyknight isn't just about how strong you are, or how powerful you are... it's about being able to show kindness and compassion, even to our enemies, it's about being just and fair, even when our hearts tell us to be cruel and vindictive."

Lark did a double take

 _Did I just hear Starling answer the question I asked Piper last night,_ _ **correctly**_ _!?_

Piper clearly also picked up on this, because she glanced to Lark, her tears momentarily forgotten in the wake of this revelation

Ace just laughed again, "Tell that to the Skyknight Council, Lightning Strike has proven himself the strongest Skyknight again and again, and they keep re-electing him."

"Just because Lightning Strike is strong, doesn't mean he isn't also just, kind and compassionate, it just means you can't see beyond his strength," Starling replied, never taking her eyes off the Focus and her careful meticulous painting

The other Telani holograms gave murmurs of agreement, which caused Ace to bristle with annoyance. "Well just you wait, I'll become the strongest, most powerful Skyknight in the Atmos, I'll get elected to Leader of the Skyknights, and then we'll see whose laughing," he snarled, before stalking away

The female next to Starling leaned in to whisper something, and only the proximity to the Focus meant they heard it. "Why did we even let him come along?"

"Wasn't our choice, everyone needs a group, and no one would take him, so he got assigned one instead, just our bad luck that we got him," Starling replied, glancing up at Ace only once

Starling was just about finished, when all of a sudden, a loud boom, emanated from the Focus, and every Telani hologram flinched

"What was that?" Finn asked, in time with at least two of the Telani holograms

Piper, Aerrow and Dove shrugged in confusion, but Lark had gone as white as a sheet. She knew that noise, every cadet at the Academy learned to both hate and _fear_ that noise

Suddenly the Telani holograms looked up as one of them called out, pointing at the sky above them. They watched as the faces of the Telani holograms went from curiosity, to terror

"RUN!" Starling suddenly shouted, as she leapt to her feet, focus dropping from her hand

Just before the hologram cut out, several large, two legged reptilian creatures, wearing full body armour, burst from the canopy above and into the clearing, weapons firing

Ace dropped in the first volley, along with one other male, Starling and the female next to her followed suit, while the final two flew between the tents, chased by two of the large armoured reptiles, who tore the tents open as they pursued their targets

Then the Focus hit the ground, and the blue hologram rushed back into the Focus

Silence filled the clearing, no one daring to speak

Aerrow finally broke it, "What in the spirits' name was that!?" he yelled

"I got no clue, did you see those things, that armour looked impenetrable!" Finn exclaimed

Piper suddenly shot to her feet, "Don't you see, there what's responsible for the disappearances," she said

"Piper's right, we need to get this information back to Lightning," Dove agreed

"We need to do more than that," Lark said

The others turned to her, finding her staring at the sky, her eyes hard, and searching. What they didn't know is she had activated her Focus' binocular ability; she was scanning the sky, searching for the ships she now knew were there

 _They'll be in stealth orbit, ordinary equipment won't be able to detect them, but what the hell are they even doing here, this is UNE territory... isn't it?_

She then noticed the others staring at her, she turned to them, "We need to leave, _now_ ," she said, marching past them back the way they came, back to Atmosia

"What?" Piper asked, getting round in front of her, "What are you talking about Lark?"

Lark simply pushed her aside and picked up Piper's pack and tossed it at her, "Grab your things, we need to fly back to Atmosia, as fast as we can... they'll be here soon," the last part was muttered under her breath, but the others still heard it

"What do you mean _'they'_?" Dove demanded, "Do you know what those things were?"

"Yes," Lark answered, shoving Dove's pack into her arms as well, "And trust me, you don't want to be here when they show up."

"Show up?" Finn said, confused

"Yes, what they did to Starling and her friends, they'll do to you, and every other Telani currently on their Fledging, all over the planet," Lark replied

Finn scoffed, but Aerrow now looked concerned, "The whole planet?"

Lark simply nodded in reply, tossing him his own pack and Finn's. The Telani all looked at one another, before turning back to Lark, "How do you know this?" Piper asked

Lark stopped, her mind running a million miles an hour

 _It all makes sense now, such perfect, horrible sense... but why was the UNE just letting it happen?_

She turned to the others, looking each of them in the eye, until she came at last to Piper. "You remember our conversation last night?" she asked

Piper tilted her head in confusion, "What does that have to do with this?"

Lark sighed, then raised one arm up, and tapped the fingers of the other against the wrist. Her holographic disguise fizzled out, replacing her bright blond hair with her real, dark locks that stopped at her shoulders, her magenta eyes turned a shade darker, and her clothes were replaced with a skin tight, dark blue jumpsuit with a silver ' _UNE_ ' insignia on the lapel. Her wings completely disappeared, replaced with her Gravitron Pack

All four Telani took a step back in shock, Lark spoke before they recovered

"This is the only lie I've told you, I'm not one of you, my full name and rank is Lieutenant Lark Cyclonis of the United Nations of Earth Navy. I'm part of a species called Humans, the leading race of the UNE, but since our people set out into the stars, we've brought multiple species into our society, and have even joined an alliance called the Galactic Council, which is made up of even more species," Lark explained

"I mean you no harm, I came here with my team to study you're world and its people," she continued

"Study!?" Dove exclaimed, clearly offended by the notion of being some sort of lab experiment

"Please don't take offence, I don't mean any," Lark placated, "My people are a curious race, and we're slow to trust, past experience has been a harsh teacher."

Piper blinked as she said that, the memory of last night's conversation entering her mind

"Whenever we discover a new species that has great potential, we want to make absolutely sure that species won't attack us before we've had a chance to say anything," Lark explained

She then glanced at the sky again, "But right now I don't have the time to explain everything, all you need to know is that there are other aliens coming, aliens who _do_ mean you harm, and if we don't get back to Atmosia, _right now_ , then you will share the fate of Starling and her friends."

The Telani all looked at one another, each processing this revelation

Then Piper stepped forward, Focus still clutched in her hand, "Answer me one thing, Cyclonis... is my sister alive?"

It wasn't lost on Lark that Piper used her last name, _I've shaken her trust, but that doesn't mean she_ _ **distrusts**_ _me, yet_

"In all likelihood, yes," Piper gave a sigh of relief, then Lark continued, "But she will not be the person you remember, I'm sorry, but it's four years too late for her."

"What is that supposed to mean!?" Dove growled

"The things you saw attack them, are called Gorvans, they believe themselves superior to all other races, they kill those who resist them, and enslave the rest," Lark replied

Their eyes went wide at her words, "Enslave?" Aerrow breathed

Lark nodded, "Which is why we need to leave now, or we'll end up joining Starling and her friends."

"Why though," Piper interrupted, "Why us, why now?"

"The Gorvan don't need a reason, as for 'now'," Lark glanced back at them, "Think about it, we're out here, alone, no adult support or protection, no weapons, what better time than now."

Slowly, Lark saw the pieces click for each Telani, Piper and Dove were first, Aerrow was right behind them, and Finn last. As they figured it out, looks of horror and fear filled their eyes

"We need to leave," Dove said, her voice only slightly shaking, as she shouldered her pack, preparing to begin the flight back

Lark nodded, then turned to her, "Do you have any way of communicating with Atmosia?"

"We have our phones," Piper replied, "but they won't have any signal this far out"

Lark swore under her breath, and then saw Dove pull out a radio

 _Where was she hiding_ _ **that!?**_

"Corvin, Corvin come in, this is Dove, do you read me?"

"Heh Dove, what's up?"

"Listen to me _very_ carefully Corvin, get your group _back_ to Atmosia on the double, and spread the word to the others, full retreat do you hear me, _full_ retreat."

The radio was silent for a moment as Corvin no doubt processed what he'd just heard, "Come again Dove, I thought you just said..." Corvin began before Dove cut him off

"FULL RETREAT! For the love of the spirits Corvin get your group back to Atmosia as fast as you can!" Dove shouted, not bothering to keep the fear out of her voice

Corvin didn't argue this time, and they heard him barking orders at his group down the radio, "We're going Dove, I'll contact everyone in range."

"I'll do the same, and Corvin, the moment you're in range of Skyknight command, send them an emergency alpha signal," Dove replied

"Understood Dove," Corvin answered, before cutting the connection

Dove now turned to the others, "I'll radio the others on the flight back, let's move."

No one argued, and soon they were in the air, flying as fast as they could, back to Atmosia

 _I sincerely hope those Raptors aren't ready yet, if they are, the moment they see us running, they'll be hammering down here_ , Lark thought, as she pushed her Gravitron Pack to maximum

* * *

 _Hegemony Slaver Ship, the Jagged Claw, July 2_ _nd_ _, 8:00am_

Repton was having his armour put on by robotic aides in his quarters, when his communicator buzzed

"What!" he snapped angrily

"It's the Telani in our sector sir, their running!" came the panicked reply

Repton froze, then snarled, "Who gave away our position!?"

"As far as we know, we haven't been detected yet, something must have spooked them, something we missed last time we were here."

Repton growled angrily as the robots finished putting his armour on, it was thick plated power armour, the best on the market, gleaming silver in the light with black highlights

Repton began marching out of his quarters, the moment he was outside, Red Hawk – wearing her own armour – fell into step behind him

"Are the teams ready!?" he demanded

"Yes sir, everyone is set and ready to go," the Gorvan on the end of the line replied

"Then deploy now, tell the other ships to do the same if they haven't already done so, cut off escape routes with the Hunter Hawks and then get them reinforced with the stalker teams," Repton growled as he made his way to the hanger bay

He got another affirmative before continuing, "And what about my shuttle, is it prepped?"

"Yes sir, your team is waiting there."

"Good, then get me the coordinates of the group that began running first, and have Black Hawk intercept them," Repton ordered, to which he received another affirmative

With that he cut the connection, and stormed through the ship to his shuttle, Red Hawk right behind him

* * *

 _Hunter Hawk Pod 1, July 2_ _nd_ _, 8:05am_

"Black Hawk, mission parameters have changed, targets are on the move heading for the settlement, your mission is to intercept them before they reach communications range."

Black Hawk nodded, knowing he could be seen on the pod cameras

"Additionally, you will be targeted at the group that began running first, you are to prevent them from getting past you, and gather as much Intel as possible before the arrival of Lord Repton."

Another nod

"Good hunting Black Hawk."

With that, his pod was launched from the ship, and sped for the planet below

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 8:07 am_

Piper's mind was racing almost as fast as her heart as they flew as fast as they could back to Atmosia. It seemed as if the spirits were encouraging this, as the headwind that had slowed them down yesterday, was now behind them, speeding them on their journey

 _Whatever is coming for us, the spirits don't want it catching us_ , Piper thought

She then glanced at Lark, still not able to get her head around the fact that for the last week, she'd been spending time, with an _alien_

On the one hand, Piper was a little hurt that Lark had lied to them, but at the same time, the conversation they'd had last night, meant she understood _why_ Lark had done it

 _You have to be careful when meeting new people, and when someone new might look so radically different, perhaps even have beliefs that conflict with your own, it's better to be safe than sorry_

Her mind then turned to the object in her hand

It hadn't escaped her notice that Lark had one exactly like it attached to her temple. She didn't know what it was, but she knew it must be important

Then she thought about what she had seen

 _I saw Starling, as she was four years ago, it had to be a recording, but I've never seen a recording that didn't require a screen before_

Piper knew the Telani had dabbled in holographic technology, but it hadn't gotten very far. It looked like Lark's people had perfected it though, as not only could they take holographic recordings, but also disguises

It never occurred to Piper to touch Lark's wings – partly because that was considered an intimate thing, reserved only for couples – they just looked so real, the thought never crossed her mind that they weren't even solid

Piper didn't know why she was disappointed by that

She was broken from her thoughts by a loud _boom_ that shook the very air, and caused her and the others to make a forced landing on the canopy below

"No no no!" Lark shouted, looking up

The others followed her gaze, and there, in the skies above them, half a dozen large, sleek, metallic objects, hurtled down towards the surface. Piper was put in mind of spears that she had seen in a museum once

"Keep going," Lark shouted, "We can't get cut off from the city!"

The others didn't argue, and were soon in the air again

As they took off, one of the objects, passed directly overhead, and slammed into the plateau where they'd camped, just last night. The other objects weren't far behind, as each slammed into the ground at different points. From their height advantage, Piper and the others could see that they had landed in a curve, between them, and Atmosia

* * *

Not far away, Corvin picked himself up off the ground, after having been knocked out of the air, first by the sound wave, and then the shockwave. He now looked up at the object in front of him, before his radio began buzzing

"Corvin, Corvin are you alright!?" came Dove's panicked voice

"Yea, we're okay," Corvin groaned as he looked around at his group, they were disoriented, but none the worse for wear

A new voice then came onto the radio, "Listen to me Corvin, don't stop, get around it, and RUN!"

"What... who is this?" Corvin asked, confused

"Don't argue with me, you have minutes at the most, just RUN!"

Corvin was about to reply, when suddenly the object hissed open, the skyward end sliding back, revealing a figure, shrouded in water vapour released from the object

Suddenly, the figure unfurled two wings, blowing the vapour back

Corvin's eyes widened, "Alica?"

He distantly heard a, "Whose Alica," from the radio as he walked, almost in a trance towards the figure, who simply stood silently in front of him

"It's me, Corvin, don't you recognise me?" Corvin asked as he continued to approach her

Suddenly, his radio burst to life again, "NO, CORVIN, GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Corvin looked at his radio, confused, "What are you talking about?"

"IT'S NOT HER, THE GIRL YOU KNEW, SHE'S GONE, SHE MAY LOOK LIKE HER, BUT HER MIND IS NO LONGER HER OWN, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THERE!"

Corvin looked from the radio, then to the Telani girl in front of him, who now stepped down towards him, smiling at him, reaching out for him. Corvin smiled back, until she put her stun baton to his chest

Corvin was suddenly wracked with pain, a scream ripping from his throat as electricity surged over his body. He then collapsed to the ground in front of her, she stepped over him, and towards his charges, most of whom now scattered

She stunned those too slow to run, before taking to the air after the others

* * *

"Corvin!? Corvin come in!?" Lark yelled

Just then they saw several Telani break the tree line, followed by another Telani, wearing sleek dark brown armour

"Damn it!" Lark yelled, tossing the radio back to Dove, "Come on, we need to move."

"Shouldn't we help!?" Aerrow exclaimed

"No, it's too late, if we stop to help them, we'll be captured too," Lark shouted back as she took off for the plateau, aiming to curve around the pod before it opened, that was until she saw the others weren't following her

"What are you doing, come on!"

The four Telani looked at one another, unsure, "We can't just leave them Lark," Piper said

Lark went back over to them, her Gravitron pack allowing her to hover before them. "Look, why do you think your people know _nothing_ about any of this!?"

That caused a look of confusion to cross their faces, before Lark continued, "It's because no one makes it back before their captured."

Dove frowned here, "But not everyone disappears, some make it back."

"Because they _let_ them, the ones who make it back are the ones the Gorvan don't want, for whatever reason, but before they let them go, they make sure to wipe their memory of _this_ ," she countered, gesturing around her at the last part

Now real terror entered the faces of the others, "We _have_ to make it back, if we don't, your people will remain ignorant of what's happening here, and you'll all just be another disappeared Fledging," Lark said forcefully

Dove and the others looked at one another, before all nodding, "Alright," Dove began, "Let's..." but she trailed off as something behind Lark caught her eye

Lark felt a sinking feeling claim her stomach as she slowly turned

There, standing at the lip of the open pod was a Telani male clad in sleek black combat armour to match his hair and wings. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" he sneered, drawing a blunt blade that crackled with electricity

"Run," Lark said, as she moved between the male Telani and the others

"But Lark," Piper began, before Lark cut her off

"JUST RUN!" Lark shouted, flinging a hand behind her which glowed a dark blue as she did, suddenly, Piper, Dove, Aerrow and Finn were flung into the air away from Lark. They quickly righted themselves in mid air, before turning and fleeing

As they fled, Lark faced down her opponent, while drawing her side arm, "I don't want to hurt you, stand down and let us pass and you won't have to die."

Her words fell on deaf ears, as the young Telani male leapt into the air, and flew straight at her

 _Worth a shot_

She quickly dodged out the way, before pulling the trigger

* * *

 _Gorvan Slaver Shuttle_ , low Atmos orbit, July 2nd, 8:15am

"My Lord, Black Hawk has a visual," one of the Stalkers called

"On screen," Repton barked

One of the shuttle's screens filled with the image of what Black Hawk was seeing. A group of Telani appeared, a blond, a red head, one had forest green hair, and the final one, raven blue locks

Red Hawk's breath hitched at seeing the final one, Repton ignored her though, because his attention was on the fifth member of the group, who now turned around to face Black Hawk

"HOW THE HELL DID A HUMAN GET ONTO MY PLANET!"

Everyone in the shuttle winced from Repton's roar, before a reply came from the ship still in high orbit, "We don't know sir, but we've begun scanning, if there are more nearby we'll find them sir."

Repton growled in anger, and went over to the pilot, "Get us to Black Hawk's position on the double!"

"Yes my Lord."

Red Hawk could only stare at the screen as she saw the Telani get flung backwards, away from the human girl, before righting themselves in mid air and fleeing

 _Fly Piper, fly as fast as you can, please I beg of you, don't get caught_ , she prayed silently

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 8:20am_

Lark ducked dodged and weaved as she desperately tried to avoid her pursuer's attacks. Her first shot had done nothing, as her opponent had turn to take the shot on his armour, instead of the wing she'd been aiming for

It was immediately clear to Lark that her opponent was highly skilled, and well trained

 _Damn indoctrination_

She dodged another stun blast; she couldn't let herself get captured. If discovery by the Telani was bad, she didn't want to imagine what the Gorvans would do if they caught her

It also wasn't lost on her that her opponent was driving her after the others, nor that, in their panic, they had flown the _wrong_ way. They'd quickly righted themselves, but now she and her opponent were on an intercept course, rather than chasing

She tried to engage again, looking to slow them down and buy as much time for her friends as possible. Her opponent was relentless though, trusting in his armour and kinetic barriers to protect him as he flew straight at her

Lark tried a different tactic, attempting to alter their course and move away from the others. Again though, she was thwarted, then horror gripped her, as a jagged looking shuttle descended from the cloud cover above Piper and the others, a side door opening, revealing the Gorvans inside, who lined up to fire

Piper and the others, attempted to turn away and dodge the attack, but Lark could see they would never make it in time. Gritting her teeth, she pushed her Gravitron pack to maximum, and added a biotic boost, causing her to shoot forward towards her friends, leaving her opponent in the dust

The Gorvans fired, but Lark's aim had been true, pushing her pack to its limits, she slammed on the breaks, while erecting a biotic shield around herself and her friends. The Gorvans ceased firing the moment they realised their fire was ineffective

"Lark!" Piper panted behind her

"You can thank me for the save later, just keep going," Lark replied, noticing the approach of her opponent in her peripheral vision

Piper and the others were about to do just that, when they heard a slow clapping

Then turned to see a second shuttle descend from the cloud cover, side door already open, and standing there, was a Gorvan in immaculate, shinning, silver plate power armour. He had a sneer on his face as he continued to slowly clap

"Most impressive human, most impressive indeed," he drawled, "But of course, ultimately futile."

"And who might you be, Gorvan." Lark replied, her words dripping with poison

"Ah yes, where are my manners," the Gorvan now bowed as he continued, "Lord Repton Corvax, High Noble of the Hegemony, and 2nd in line for the imperial throne."

Lark felt a chill steal over her, _we are_ _ **so**_ _screwed_

Lark swallowed her fear though, "And just what are you doing here?"

Repton sneered again, "I should be the one asking that question, you are after all on _my_ planet."

 _His planet?_

"This planet is listed under the Protected Planets Program, it _can't_ be yours, you are trespassing and kidnapping innocents!" Lark yelled

Repton just laughed in response, "The Protected Planets Program, oh that is rich... no, silly girl, this planet belongs to me, _you_ are the one who is trespassing... but I'm a reasonable Gorvan, leave now and I'll forget you were ever here, no one else need know about your, _transgressions_."

Lark gritted her teeth, he could of course be lying, but she had no way of knowing, Torrens had been the one to tell her this planet was in the program, it was the Professor's word against this Lord Repton's

She glanced at the others behind her, huddled together as close as their flapping wings allowed, gazing worriedly at the Gorvans and the black haired Telani circling them

"What about them, you going to let them leave?" she asked

Repton gave another chuckle, "And let perfectly good livestock escape, of course not."

Lark's eyes and resolve hardened at the word 'livestock', and she levelled her pistol at him, "No deal!"

She fired, but Repton stood unmoving

Then a fist appeared between him and the bullet, which pinged harmlessly off the red armour on the wrist. The owner then stepped out from behind the Gorvan who'd been standing in front of them

Lark heard Piper and Dove gasp behind her, "No way," Aerrow and Finn both breathed

Lark didn't blame them, she had instantly recognised the figure as well, she'd been afraid of this. "Dove, Piper, it's not her," she said

"What are you talking about, of course it's her!" Piper shouted

"No it's not, she's not your sister anymore, she's been indoctrinated!" Lark cried

"Half," Repton suddenly said

Lark blinked and stared at him, "What?"

"I didn't completely indoctrinate this one, would have dulled her, instead I, _convinced_ her, of the dangers of disobedience, and the benefits of compliance," Repton answered, stroking Starling's purple locks, like one would a favourite pet

Starling accepted the petting without complaint, standing resolutely at his side

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!?" Dove shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks

"Why don't you find out," Repton sneered, "Red Hawk, discipline that one."

"Yes, Master Repton," Starling replied, before launching off the shuttle, straight for Dove

Lark attempted to intercept her, but a shot from the shuttle cut her off. "As for you human," Repton said, "I gave you a chance to run, now you will know the pain of refusing my generosity."

His jet pack fired as he launched at Lark

Lark shot away, straight up, while shouting back to the others, "RUN, GET OUT OF HERE, GO!"

Piper, Aerrow and Finn didn't need telling twice, using the chaos of two fights, they broke out of the trap and flew away, Repton's stalkers and the black winged Telani right behind them

* * *

 _UNE Stealth Station Orion, July 2_ _nd_ _, 8:30am_

Torrens rushed aboard the shuttle, Jimmy hot on his heels

"Sir if we go down there now, without the patrol fleet," Jimmy began

"I know," Torrens yelled back, "But we don't have a choice, god damn it just a few more hours, all we needed was a few more hours."

He began firing up the engines on the shuttle, "Tell everyone to be ready to leave before the patrol fleet gets here, the Gorvans will likely discover the station before it arrives, and we need to be ready to make a hasty exit."

Jimmy just nodded, then turned to leave the shuttle, he turned back before closing the door, "Good luck Professor." Torrens nodded, then the door slid shut

 _To us all_ , he thought, before detaching from the station, and gunning the engines, heading for the planet below

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 8:35am_

Piper's lungs were on fire as she ducked dodged and weaved between the trees, desperately trying to evade their pursuers, Aerrow and Finn just ahead of her

She tried to concentrate on what she was doing, but her mind kept getting dragged back to seeing her sister, standing there, next to that alien. How she had stood there and let him pet her, as if she were just a piece of property

Lark's words came back to her, _"She's indoctrinated."_

What did that mean, and what had it done to Starling

The moment Repton had issued the order for Starling to attack her best friend, she hadn't hesitated, the Starling that Piper knew would _never_ have done that

She was broken from her thoughts as a shot from above her came narrowly close to clipping her wing

"We need to find some cover!" Piper shouted

"There's a quarry up ahead, I can see a lot of others heading for it!" Aerrow called back

Piper didn't like that, _their herding us_ , she thought, then she glanced back at their pursuers, the black haired Telani held a malicious grin on his face, while the Gorvans, in their full head helmets appeared emotionless

 _It's not like we have a choice though_ , she thought, as she ducked beneath the trees with Aerrow and Finn, while making a bee line for the quarry

* * *

Dove flipped around, dodging yet another viscous attack from her friend, "Starling stop, it's me Dove, please stop!" she exclaimed

Starling ignored her though, twirling through the air like a dancer, bringing a foot down straight towards Dove

Dove blocked the attack and pushed Starling back, "Starling please, I don't want to hurt you!"

"I know Dove, and I'm so sorry that I have to do this, but I don't have a choice," Starling replied

For the first time, Dove saw the tears in Starling's eyes, throwing her off, for only a moment, but it was a moment Starling used to her advantage, as she brought her stun baton into Dove's side

Dove cried out in agony, before falling from the sky, towards the canopy

Starling stared down at her for a moment, before descending after her through the trees

* * *

Lark gritted her teeth as Repton relentlessly pursued her, his personal shuttle hanging back from the fight, but following close, in case Repton was injured

Lark whirled around in mid air, launching a biotic push at her opponent

Repton caught it easily and launched his own biotic attack back at her

Lark, dodged, then changed directions, getting behind Repton and firing her pistol, unloading the clip

Repton merely raised his shields, absorbing the attacks, before drawing an energy whip, and lashing Lark across her chest with it

Lark cried out in pain, before she was flung backwards by another biotic attack, which sent her crashing into the canopy

Repton sneered in victory, before turning and following his Stalkers, after his prey

Meanwhile, Lark clutched desperately to the tree she'd collided with, and thanked god for the shock absorbers in her jumpsuit, without them, she'd have definitely broken her spine

She pulled herself onto the branch she was collapsed over, gritting her teeth from the pain

Then she heard Torrens' voice in her ear, "Lark, are you okay, come in Lark?"

Lark straightened herself, then pulled up a medical evaluation of her injuries, she'd sustained bruising across most of her back, and sprained one shoulder, apart from that she was fine

"I'm good Torrens, damn Raptor has quite the biotic arm though," she replied

She heard Torrens sigh in relief before he continued, "I'm heading to your position in a stealth shuttle, stay put and hopefully, Repton will believe you died and won't pursue this further."

"They'll detect our comms, what good is a stealth shuttle?" Lark asked

"I'm hoping their too busy looking for our station and hunting Telani, but if they do detect us, we have a patrol fleet on the way to aid us," Torrens replied

 _A patrol fleet_

Lark gritted her teeth as she pulled herself to her feet

"Lark, what are you doing, stay put, I'll be there shortly," Torrens said

"No, we can end this," Lark replied, "Lord Repton is here illegally, kidnapping innocents, teenagers my own age and enslaving them. If a patrol fleet is on the way, they'll be able to apprehend his slave ships and send teams down here to arrest Repton; we just need to keep him from those kids long enough for them to get here."

"The fleet won't be here for another two hours!" Torrens yelled

"Don't worry Professor, I have just the thing to keep Repton at bay," Lark replied, before ending the call and taking off once again

* * *

 _UNE Stealth shuttle_

"Lark wait!" Torrens cried, but he was too late. "Damn it!"

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 8:40am_

Dove looked up as Starling descended down towards her, she groggily got to her feet, and faced her friend

"Please, Starling, don't make me do this," she begged, tears running down her cheeks

Starling's own cheeks were wet with tears, "I'm sorry Dove, but that's not my name anymore," she paused as she brought her gaze up to match Dove's. "My name, is Red Hawk," she then unfurled her red wings, and launched herself at Dove

* * *

Piper, Aerrow and Finn reached the quarry, along with about half a dozen others, at the back of the quarry was a cave, where the rest of Atmosia's fledging had gathered, and were encouraging the rest to run to them

They hit the ground running, sprinting as fast as they could for the cave, several Telani were brought down by stun weapons as they ran, as were any that tried to pick them up

The black haired Telani who'd been chasing them, landed in front of them, raising his blunt weapon ready to strike

Aerrow surprised him though, smoothly picking up a stone from the ground, he flung it at their pursuer. The black haired Telani flinched out the way, before Aerrow barrelled into him and knocked him aside

The black haired Telani growled in annoyance as he steadied himself, but his targets had already sprinted past him, and reached the safety of the cave

He prepared to give chase, until a Stalker landed next to him, "No, leave them, their trapped and have nowhere to go, we wait for Lord Repton."

Aerrow, Piper and Finn stopped just inside the cave – panting from their excursions – filled with other Telani, all scared, some were even crying

"You the last?" one of their older peers asked

Aerrow could only nod in reply, still too out of breath to speak, he'd never flown or run so hard in his life

"Where's... Dove?" Piper panted

Aerrow and Finn were unable to answer, and their older peer just shook his head

Piper's gaze was dragged outside, where she saw the black haired Telani pacing some distance from the cave entrance. She saw other armoured Telani taking up positions around the quarry as well; she noticed that they were five of them

Including the one who chased them, that made six in all, the same number as the objects that dropped from the sky

"Filthy traitors," their older peer growled

"They're not traitors," Aerrow gasped

"What are you talking about, of course they are, they're helping those things attack us."

Piper shook her head, "Their, _indoctrinated_ ," she said

Their peer looked at her like she was crazy, "Indoctri-what?"

"I don't understand it myself," Aerrow replied, "But whoever they were before has been completely removed, their minds twisted and altered, at least, that's how Lark made it sound."

Piper and Finn both nodded

"Who the hell is Lark?" their peer asked

Before they could reply though, Repton landed at the quarry, a sneering grin stretching his lips

He walked up to the black haired Telani, "Excellent work Black Hawk, is this all of them?"

"All that are still left to capture, yes Master," the black haired Telani replied

"Good," Repton replied, before turning to his men, "Form up, lets finish our business here."

Half a dozen Stalkers walked forward, prepping their weapons

Piper felt fear grip her gut, she whirled to the others, "Find a way out, quick!"

"There isn't one, this is the only way in or out," their older peer replied

Piper turned back, icy fear gripping tight as the Gorvans prepared to storm the cave, _they've done this before, many times_ , she realised, and all hope began to leave her

Suddenly, a figure, slammed down in front of the cave entrance, showering them all in dust

When the dust cleared, Piper saw Lark standing in front of them, pistol levelled at Repton

"You're not going one step further!" she yelled

Repton now looked impressed, "My, my, aren't you the persistent one."

"You'd be surprised," Lark countered, "Now, I won't say it again, turn around and go back to your ships, your leaving this planet empty handed."

Now Repton growled, "I don't think so, and I've dallied with you long enough," he turned to Black Hawk, "Finish her."

Black Hawk nodded, and began to advance on Lark

Before he reached her though, Lark shot at his feet, causing him to jump back, as well as get every gun pointed at her. In the moment this all took though, she holstered her pistol, and brought up a spherical object, with a raised button

The moment the Gorvans saw it, they all took an involuntary step back, even Repton

"Good to see you know what this is, last chance to accept _my_ generosity," Lark sneered

Repton looked between her, then the Telani behind her, and a smirk graced his lips, "You're bluffing, you wouldn't harm innocents."

Lark's only reaction was to take her free hand, and point it behind her, while it glowed that same dark blue colour from before

Piper braced herself for the same force she'd been hit with before when she'd done this, but it didn't come. Instead, a shimmering, transparent blue wall appeared across the mouth of the cave

"That will hold for at least three minutes after my death," Lark stated, "And the cave has thick igneous rock walls," she then held up the object in her hand, "While the explosion from this will follow the path of least resistance, which now, is straight out, towards the lot of you."

Repton now looked thoughtful, while the few members of his Stalkers who had removed their helmets, now looked very worried

"You'd sacrifice your life for a bunch of primitives?" Repton asked

"In a heartbeat," Lark replied

"Hmm," Repton mused, "What's your name human?"

"Lieutenant Lark Cyclonis," Lark answered

Clarity filled Repton's eyes, "Ahh, that explains it."

Lark raised an eyebrow, "Explains what?"

Repton chuckled, "You're the daughter of my old nemesis, Anarchis Cyclonis."

Lark felt her breath hitch, she quickly recovered, "Granddaughter, actually, but what's it to you, how do you know my grandmother?"

Repton continued to chuckle, "Daughter or granddaughter, it matters not, what matters is we are repeating history here my dear."

"I don't follow?"

Repton now looked at her aghast, "You mean to tell me they kept it a secret?"

At Lark's silence, Repton burst out laughing, "Oh Torrens, if you're the one behind this, I think you may have some explaining to do," Repton roared with laughter. "Tell me, is Torrens leading this little mission?"

Lark merely gritted her teeth, her mind a whirl with thoughts and doubts

"Ah well, it doesn't matter," Repton replied, recovering, then he turned at the sound of flapping wings, and smiled. "What matters is that this little game, is over."

As he spoke, Starling and Dove landed in the quarry not far from Repton, Dove was cuffed and collared, and energy lead running form the collar to Starling's hand

"Splendid work Red Hawk," Repton said smiling as Starling dragged Dove over, he then turned triumphantly to Lark. "Now then, here is an innocent _not_ protected by your biotic barrier, still feeling so gung ho?"

Lark grit her teeth, but then Dove spoke

"Lark, whatever's going on, don't let this bastard get the others, no matter what!" she shouted, before Repton back handed her

"Slaves should not speak unless spoken to," he growled

But his reprimand came too late, as Lark's resolve hardened at Dove's words

"No, she's right, pressing this trigger is the lesser of two evils, and she is clearly as prepared as me to die for those behind me," Lark stated

Repton turned back, worry starting to creep into his features, "Do this, and this planet will not be the only one to suffer the consequences," he snarled

"Perhaps you're forgetting, but we humans take an oath when we join the UNE Navy," Lark countered. Repton's eyes widened as she continued

"I solemnly swear, to devote my life and abilities, to the United Nations of Earth. To defend the constitution of man, and uphold the rights of all sentient life," as Lark spoke, her finger began to approach the trigger. "From the depths of the Pacific, to the edge of the Galaxy, for as long, as I, shall live!"

As Lark gave voice to the last syllables, her finger came down

"LARK STOP!"

Lark's finger froze at the sound of a new voice

Everyone looked up to see a new shuttle emerge from the cloud cover, unlike the Gorvan shuttles, which were jagged, this one was more blocky, the edges smooth, with defined corners

The side door opened, and a man with grey hair appeared in it

"Torrens," Repton called, "How good of you to join us."

Torrens bowed to Repton, "My Lord Repton, please accept my most humble apologies for this mess, it was my fault and I claim full responsibility, which I will be facing when we return to the Council."

"Well, how forthright of you," Repton replied, smirk plastered across his face

"What are you talking about Torrens, he's the criminal here, where's the patrol fleet, will they be here soon!?" Lark called back desperately

"Lieutenant, we will discuss this later, please get aboard the shuttle," Torrens replied sternly

Lark's eyes widened in disbelief, "What, no, we can't just abandon these kids, they need us!"

"Lieutenant, I won't ask again, get on board, NOW!"

"You heard him girl, run along now," Repton mocked, his men chuckling

Lark growled, "No, I'll die before I let you harm these kids!" she yelled as she prepared to press the detonator again

"LARK FOR GODS SAKE, IT'S HIS PLANET!"

The words seemed to make time freeze, Piper could have sworn Lark stopped breathing, she herself didn't understand what this Torrens had just said, all she knew, was that it was bad

Finally, Lark spoke, "What?" her voice quiet, barely carrying to Torrens, while she stared at Repton's smirking visage

"He owns the planet, and everything, and _everyone_ on it," Torrens said, the words sticking in his throat

Lark was now trembling as Torrens continued, "What you're about to do, would be considered an act of war by the Hegemony, where _we_ would be the aggressors, the Council wouldn't support us, we'd be left to fend for ourselves _alone_ against the Hegemony."

Lark's trembling got worse as she continued to stare Repton down, "But, the patrol fleet," Lark tried

"Are coming to _extract_ us, nothing more, nothing less," Torrens replied

Tears now traced their way down Lark's cheeks, every fibre of her being was _screaming_ at her to press the detonator, and blow Repton to hell. If she did though, human worlds would burn

She glanced back at Piper and the others, hopelessness filling her eyes

Piper noticed, "No, please, don't leave us," she breathed

Lark choked back a sob, looking away, the hand holding the thermal detonator lowering as she disarmed it, while the blue wall collapsed. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she sobbed, before activating her pack, and launching into the air, neatly landing on board the shuttle

"One last thing," Repton called from below, causing Lark and Torrens to turn, "I'd like an apology Lieutenant, for disrupting my hunt."

Anger flared in Lark's eyes, but a hand on her shoulder from Torrens, stopped her from acting rashly. She turned to Repton, and swallowing her pride, bowed to him, "My apologies for disrupting your hunt, Lord Repton," she forced through gritted teeth

Repton merely smirked, then waved the two of them away

Torrens closed the door to the shuttle, before it turned away, shooting up into the sky

"No," Piper breathed, tears building in her eyes

Then she heard Repton's voice

"Alright then, where were we..." he said smirking, the Telani in the cave began backing away from the entrance in fear, "Oh, that's right," he chuckled, before making a slicing motion with his hand

As one, the Stalkers surged forward, and began firing the first stun blasts into the cave

Piper was hit in the first volley, the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness, was the UNE shuttle, flying away

* * *

 **DUN DUN DAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
**

 **To be continued dear readers**

 **don't forget to leave a review to let me hear your thoughts, and as always constructive criticism is welcome, see you all next time ; )**

 **P.s. I forgot about Indoctrination, which is a tactic used by the Reapers in Mass Effect to bend Organics to their will, same basic rules here as there, except in this story the Gorvan's form of Indoctrination CAN be broken, it just takes effort, and a LOT of therapy**


	4. Chapter 4

******DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely cause I want it to,****** **Additionally, credit to cover image goes to Mythorie over on Deviant Art, your awesome mate**

 **Lonely, I'm so lonely, nobody loves me, nobody reviews my stories**

 **Oh... hi there, didn't see you all**

 **(Glances at the writing above)**

 **You know what, forget about what you just read and lets get started shall we**

 **HELLO ALL AND WELCOME TO STELLARIS, BOOK 1: CHAPTER 4**

 **This chapter isn't quite as long as the last one, but it is a little stronger on the violence and discrimination themes, so as always, viewer discretion is advised**

 **For any information you need today, I suggest the Council races from Mass Effect, specifically the members that actually make up the council itself, i.e. the Turians, Asari, and Salarians**

 **If you want to see what the Destiny Ascension looks like I also suggest looking for it in the Mass Effect wiki**

 **yea Mass Effect kinda takes precedence today, but I've thrown in some good Storm Hawks bits too**

 **There is one race I'd like to introduce you to myself, and that's the Asgard**

 **The Asgard are a race of diminutive humanoids, they're highly advanced and posses fast and powerful ships, with a focus on beaming technology, in both weapons and transportation**

 **For looks, imagine Roswell Greys, or just go look up Stargate SG1, that's where the originate from (If you'll remember, I did say I'd be bringing in characters and races from other sci-fi stuff to this story)**

 **The last couple of bits are some nods to the Star Wars franchise and again Mass Effect**

 **For the ones related to Mass Effect, I point you in the direction of the Normandy and its crew**

 **As for Star Wars, being as popular as it is they should be obvious, but if anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me in a review, I will get back to you... eventually... as soon as I see it... I'LL GET BACK TO YOU ALRIGHT!**

 **(takes deep breath)**

 **Calm, cool... hmm... Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos**

 **(notices everyone staring)**

 **Well them, (clears throat) lets start this thing shall we**

 ** ** **WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS THEMES OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND SLAVERY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR PREVIOUS PAGE******

 ** ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all, Welcome back to... Stellaris, Book 1: The Fledging******

 _ ** ** **Blurb:******_

 **On the planet of Atmos, the Telani people prepare for their annual tradition known as the Fledging, a journey undertaken by Telani about to enter adulthood. On this journey we follow a group of young Telani – Piper, Aerrow, Finn and their older peer, Dove – excited to begin their Fledging. However, unbeknownst to them, they have an unexpected guest, a Human, called Lark Cyclonis, secretly visiting their planet, studying their people and culture**

 **Together they depart on the Fledging, all the while unaware of the shadow that looms over Atmos, and is due to strike again. When it does, the youngsters are flung into a Galaxy of danger, meeting new people, both friends, and enemies, and reuniting with long lost loved ones. The young Telani of Atmos are about to find out, that their world is so much bigger than they could have possibly imagined**

* * *

 _Chapter 4: The Galactic Council_

 _UNE Shuttle, low Atmos orbit, July 2_ _nd_ _, 9:10 am_

Torrens set the shuttle's autopilot to take them to the rendezvous he'd already set up with the rest of the team, before turning back to the main compartment, where Lark was still standing, observing the scene below, as the Gorvans collected their prize

Her body was tensed, and Torrens could see an almost imperceptible shake to her shoulders

He took a breath, before approaching her

"Lark I-" he never finished, because he suddenly found himself on the floor, his jaw stinging, and Lark standing over him, her eyes blazing with fury, betrayal and sorrow

"YOU LIED TO ME!" she screamed, tears running unchecked down her cheeks

Torrens merely bowed his head, "Yes," he said quietly

"YOU MADE ME ABANDON THEM!"

"Yes."

"THEY NEEDED US!"

"Yes."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME PRESS THAT GODDAM DETONATOR!"

"Because then, I would have failed your grandmother twice," Torrens answered, finally looking up into Lark's eyes

Lark's eyes widened, before she began pacing the shuttle, then whirling back to him, "WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME!?"

Torrens sat up slowly, nursing his jaw, "Honestly, I knew it was a mistake even bringing you."

Lark stared at him, dumbfounded, her anger abating slightly, "What!?"

Torrens sighed, running a hand through his grey hair, "60 years ago, you're grandmother and I discovered this world for the UNE, we were so excited, a new world, a new sentient species, we were overjoyed."

Torrens paused as he looked at one of the screens, which showed the nearest slave ship, "Then, Repton and his father showed up, and everything changed."

Lark's gaze drifted to the jagged, intimidating ship, before moving back to Torrens. "What happened?"

"You're grandmother wanted to fight the Hegemony, claiming that Atmos had been discovered by the UNE first, so it fell within UNE territory," Torrens explained. "Of course, Repton and his father then said that the planet already belonged to them, of course, neither of us believed them, and we called for a patrol fleet for backup against the slaver fleet."

Torrens leant back against the wall of the shuttle, "At first things went our way, we were able to keep the slavers from the planet, and it seemed like we'd be able to stop them completely." A haunted look then crossed Torrens face, "Then the Emperor showed up, with half his armada."

Lark's eyes widened as she realised where this was going

"The Emperor ordered us to withdraw, reiterating what we'd already been told, that the Corvax family owned the planet, but Anarchis still didn't want to believe it." Torrens said, "Only after she'd seen the deed of ownership herself, and it had been ratified by both Hegemony and UNE allies, did she finally accept the truth... and it nearly broke her."

Lark fell against the opposite wall to Torrens, and slid down it to the floor

"Anarchis changed completely after that mission, she was absolutely determined to do as much good as she could in the galaxy, help as many people as possible. In a way, that mission was what began her crusades to liberate and protect as many people as she could, and earned her the title, 'The Great Liberator'."

Torrens was silent for a while after he finished, studying Lark and her reaction to all of this, then he continued

"Despite how much she changed, she was still my best friend though, and we continued to work together... so after she died..." Torrens trailed off

"It was like you were missing a part of yourself," Lark stated quietly

Torrens nodded

"Then I met you," he said, causing Lark to look up, "And you were so very like her, hell, you're only about four years younger than she was when I first met her. You were intelligent, brilliant, devoted, passionate, and kind, every bit the young woman she was... you filled that hole for the first time in years... and I could almost fool myself into thinking I had my friend back."

Torrens fell silent again, as Lark stared at him in shock, " _That's_ why you asked me to come?"

Torrens shook his head, "I don't know _what_ possessed me to offer you a position on this mission, even my superiors said it was a bad idea, hell, the moment I finished making the offer _I_ knew I'd made a mistake."

He looked up here, staring Lark in the eye, "You're not Anarchis, no matter how like her you are, you're not her, and I was a fool to think you could fill the hole she left in my heart."

For some reason, that comment stung Lark more than it should have, once more, she was being compared to her grandmother, and being found, inadequate

"I'm sorry Lark, I truly am," Torrens continued, sobbing now, "But once I asked you, it was too late, I spent the entire journey to Atmos thinking about how I was going to tell you about the situation... but the only thing that kept entering my mind... was how Anarchis reacted to the reality of this world's situation... I kept seeing her fury, her anger, her drive to protect, even though there was nothing she could do to stop or change anything here."

Torrens wiped his eyes before continuing, "I imagined telling you, and you trying to stop the Hegemony, even if you had to do it on your own... I couldn't let that happen, I couldn't fail you're grandmother again."

Lark blinked, "You've said that once already, what do you mean by that?"

Torrens looked up at Lark once more, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret, "After your grandmother, ran out of crusades, she turned back to the one she never completed."

Lark's breath hitched

"She petitioned the Academy, the Board of the UNE _and_ the Galactic Council, multiple times, begging them for something, anything to give her an edge to free Atmos from the Hegemony," Torrens explained, "She was refused every time... too radical, too aggressive, too heedless of the consequences."

Torrens now stood, gazing back at the planet below them, "She tried for years, without success, and I... never supported her... I felt as the Academy did, that there was simply nothing we could do, that the Hegemony had won this round... but Anarchis, would never accept that."

Torrens pressed his head against the metal bulkhead, eyes scrunched tight, "The last words I spoke to her, were said in anger... I tried to convince her to let it go, to forget about Atmos and move on... but she wouldn't hear it."

As Torrens recalled the memories, his mind was transported back 5 years, to the last day he saw Anarchis alive

* * *

 _Alpha Centauri Prime Academy, May 6_ _th_ _, 2272, 2:39pm_

"Anarchis, you need to stop this," Torrens insisted, as he chased his old friend around her lab

"What I need Torrens, is a few good ships and a capable team, Repton is even more cruel than his father, so I'm sure that if we can catch him using methods of capture that would revolt even the staunchest pro-slavery Gorvan, it will convince the Council to support a UNE liberation of the planet," Anarchis replied

"Now where did I put that data," she mused to herself, before Torrens got in her field of vision, slamming his hand on the table top

"It doesn't matter what data you have, the Council will _never_ go for it, do you understand!"

Anarchis frowned at him, "I'm not abandoning those poor people again Torrens, not when we now know about the cullings. What, you think I'm going to just sit around while Repton enslaves and slaughters them!?"

"There's nothing else you can do!" Torrens exclaimed

"YES THERE IS TORRENS!" Anarchis shouted, "I CAN TRY, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M DOING. WHAT HAVE _YOU_ DONE TO HELP RECENTLY, HMM!?"

Torrens took a step back, then his anger surged to the surface, "I'm being logical, you can't win this fight Anarchis!"

"Just watch me!" she snapped back, turning away from him and continuing her search for her data

Torrens ran a hand down his face, before catching up with her, "Anarchis, please just listen," he begged, she ignored him though. "You've done so much in your life, helped so many people, your name is revered and respected across Council space, there isn't going to be a single child born in Council space in the next ten decades who doesn't know your name and what you've done."

Anarchis continued to ignore him

"Anarchis please, you've done enough, it's time to end the crusades, please, if not for me, then for your family, wouldn't you like to spend more time with your granddaughter?"

Anarchis finally stopped, her expression suddenly unreadable to Torrens, "You don't have children Torrens, so I wouldn't expect you to understand... but I'm doing this _for_ Lark." She now turned back around to face him, her eyes hard, storm like

"For the last ten years, since Lark was born, I've been waking up in a cold sweat, thoughts of what might happen if we let the Hegemony win, Torrens, of my granddaughter in chains, _indoctrinated_ ," her voice was cold as she spoke, and it caused a chill to run up Torrens' spine

"I will _not_ let the likes of Repton, dictate the future of _any_ sentient being without a fight, because the moment we give up, the moment we, _'let it go'_ , is the moment we lose," she said, "So I will keep fighting, till the very end, so my granddaughter doesn't have to, so she is safe, to live her life the way _she_ wants to live it."

Torrens stared at Anarchis, at her cold, hard, dark violet eyes

Lately, the student body had begun developing a new name for Anarchis, and that name, was 'Master Cyclonis'

He could see now what they had meant by it, she had become consumed with this goal, this impossible goal, and it would destroy her

Torrens knew he should help her, that's what a friend would have done, but in that moment, his anger burned too hot, so instead, he drew himself to his full height, and spoke words he would later regret for the rest of his life

"Then you'll fight your way to an early grave," he stated, before walking out

* * *

 _UNE Shuttle, Eggellen Prime System, July 2_ _nd_ _, 2277, 9:30am_

Lark couldn't stop the tears as Torrens finished his recounting, "I shouldn't have left, I shouldn't have abandoned her, if I hadn't, she might still be with us... but the stress, of her job, of her crusade, of dealing with the Council... it was too much... and at her age..." Torrens trailed off, clenching his fist

"I failed her, I swore I would never fail her again... but my own weakness almost caused me to break that vow..." Torrens now turned back to Lark, who sat curled on the floor. He walked over to her, and sat down next to her

"None of this is your fault, the blame rests solely on my shoulders," he stated, "Just please tell me this is over."

Lark took a breath, getting control of her tears, before standing and moving away from the man she had trusted, "I'm sorry Torrens, but like her... I can't just abandon them."

A look of despair crossed Torrens' face, then he saw one of surprise cross Lark's

"What the hell, that's not a patrol fleet!" she exclaimed

Torrens stood and walked over to the screen she was observing. This view showed the ship that they had travelled to Eggellen Prime on. Behind it, was the _'Destiny Ascension'_ and its escort

"Looks like the Council decided to come themselves," Torrens said resignedly, "And their early."

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 10:21am_

Piper groaned as she sat up slowly, holding her head to keep it from spinning as she tried to recall the events of the last few hours. With the headache she currently had, this was easier said than done, and there was something digging into her ankle inside of her boot, that was only aggravating the situation

Then, her head connected with something hard above her, something metallic

Her eyes _snapped_ open, instantly taking in the cage she was sitting in

"No... no, no, no, no!" she exclaimed, panicking

Suddenly the cage was kicked, and Piper looked up into the face of a Gorvan

"Quite birdie, unless you want another shock," it growled, before walking on

Piper slumped back into the cage, curling up as she began to sob. So this was it, she'd been captured by a group that intended to enslave her, her friends, and everyone else she knew or cared about

"Piper," a voice suddenly hissed at her

Piper looked up in the direction of the voice, her eyes finding Dove, sitting in the cage nearest to her on her right side

"Dove," Piper said, a little too loudly, as it caused Dove to make a shushing motion

Piper then looked around, and saw that they were still in the quarry; cages filled much of the space, and at the outer limits, were the jagged ships that the Gorvans had arrived in. As for the Gorvans themselves, they were shoving more Telani into cages, as Stalker groups continued to arrive with their prisoners

Arrayed around the quarry in strategic positions, were the Hunter Hawks, observing the entire proceeding from vantage points, all but Starling, who was by Repton's side

Dove noticed Piper taking everything in

"They've been rounding up the stragglers for the last hour or so," Dove whispered

"What do you think they'll do to us?" Piper asked fearfully

Dove's eyes roamed the quarry, "Well they don't hurt us, unless we intentionally step out of line, so they're not planning on killing us... I suspect, when their done gathering us up, they'll decide which of us their taking, and which are getting left behind, then, as Lark said, wipe their memories, and leave them for our parents to find."

Piper felt a cold sensation knife her heart at the mention of Lark, "She abandoned us," Piper sobbed

Dove nodded, "I saw, but I don't think she had a choice."

Piper looked up at Dove, aghast, "What do you mean, of course she had a choice she..."

Dove held up a hand to silence Piper's loud exclamation. A Gorvan Stalker glanced over to them, before shrugging and moving away

"That man on the human shuttle, he said that if Lark went through with what she was doing, then she'd start a war, where _their_ species would be seen as the aggressors, and that the _'Council'_ – whatever that is – wouldn't support them, meaning they'd be facing the Hegemony alone," Dove answered

Piper blinked, turning that memory over in her mind, she sat back against the bars of her cage, her wings cramped in the enclosed space. "If that's the case then, she was looking out for her own kind... which is almost as bad," Piper stated

Dove nodded, "I know, but it's also something I can understand," Piper looked up at Dove, eyebrow raised, "She was protecting her people Piper, in her shoes, I'd have done the same, spirits, I said _I_ was willing to die to save you and the others."

Piper shuffled slightly, trying to get more comfortable while she considered this, "I guess, but still..."

"And it's not like she wanted to do it Piper," Dove added, cutting Piper off

Piper blinked, then recalled the memory of Lark glancing back at them, while standing at the cave entrance, the look of hopelessness in her eyes, sorrow, and regret. Piper's tears came again, sliding silently this time

Then they heard Repton's voice carry over the quarry

"Is this the last of them?"

"All that we could find my Lord," the lead Stalker of the pack that had just returned answered

Repton hailed his ship, "Any more out there?"

"One moment my Lord."

There followed some silence, before the Gorvan on the other end of the line swore

"What is it?" Repton asked

"Looks like in the confusion we missed a pair, their heading back to Atmosia."

Repton swore himself, "Can we catch them?"

Another few moments of silence, "Yes my Lord, we can, but not in time to stop them from reaching communications range."

Repton growled in annoyance, "So be it then," he turned to the Stalker who just reported in, "Get after them, don't bother caging them, just wipe their minds and return to the ship, hopefully they won't be able to give too many details about what they saw before we stop them."

The Stalker saluted, "Right away my Lord," with that, the Stalker and his team, turned and boarded one of the shuttles, taking off in the direction of Atmosia

Repton now turned to the quarry, and his prize, "Apart from that little hiccup, a splendid job men, we're going to get quite the pay day on our return to Bogaton."

This caused a cheer to erupt from the Stalkers, before Repton waved over one in particular, and began marching along the lines of cages, inspecting each Telani occupant

Occasionally he would point one out, or wave his hand in dismissal. The former, received a yellow tag on the end of their right wing, the latter were giving a red tag on their left

This continued, until Repton reached where Dove and Piper were sitting

"Ahh, I remember you," Repton sneered, as he approached Dove, who was glaring daggers at him

"Such lovely green wings, wouldn't you agree Horek?"

The Stalker next to Repton nodded, "Indeed my Lord, she'll definitely be an eye catcher on the market."

"Slightly older than normal as well, no doubt the Telani are trying to figure out a solution to their disappearing Fledglings," Repton continued, then glanced half back to Starling. "How good a fighter was she Red Hawk?"

Starling straightened as she spoke, "Quite capable Master, in fact, were it not for my training and equipment, I'd have said she was my equal."

Repton now turned to Starling, surprised, "That's a bold thing to say to your master, almost like you _want_ to be replaced."

Starling gave a small twitch of a smile, "Permission to speak freely Master?"

Repton glanced at Horek, who simply shrugged, before turning back to Starling, "Permission granted."

"This Telani and I were friends, before I entered into your service, we were an unstoppable team... we could be so again, _if_ she is given the right training," Starling answered

Repton considered this, his tail swishing slightly as he looked back at Dove, then he smiled. "You don't say, well then," he kneeled down next to Dove's cage, peering at her through the bars, "What say you my dear, will you bend the knee and accept me as your master, serve me, by your old friend's side?"

Dove was silent for a moment, then she spat, hitting him square in the eye

Repton growled in annoyance, wiping the spit away, before thrusting one hand through the bars and grabbing Dove by the neck. Starling flinched forward to help Dove, but checked her movement before either Horek or Repton could notice

Dove gasped and choked slightly as Repton squeezed her neck

"You've got spirit, I'll give you that, spirit that only I give _myself_ the pleasure of breaking," he then shoved Dove back as he let her go, then he plucked one of her feathers, causing her to flinch. "Hmm, 'Green Hawk' just doesn't quite have the right ring to it," Repton mused, then his eyes filled with inspiration, "'Leaf Wing', yes, that's perfect, alright then Leaf Wing, consider yourself chosen."

Dove blinked in confusion, until Horek tagged her right wing with a yellow tag, and a look of hopelessness filled her eyes

Repton then turned to face the next set of cages, next to Piper and Dove

Piper saw that Aerrow and Finn were next in line – the two of them were just coming round – as Repton marched towards them

Piper tried to keep herself as small and inconspicuous as possible, her heart thumping madly inside her chest

Repton now stood in front of Aerrow and Finn, looking them over, before turning to Horek

"What about these two, anything to say about them?" Repton asked

Horek nodded, "Yes my Lord," he now pointed to Aerrow, "This one managed to surprise Black Hawk, while they were running for the cave. Black Hawk tried to stop them, but this one was able to shove him out the way."

That peaked Repton's interest, "Really," he squatted down in front of Aerrow's cage to get a better look, "Hmm, young but fit, and strong too to be able to push Black Hawk aside." Repton's eyes then drifted to Aerrow's wings, "Can't call you 'Red Hawk' though, that name is taken..." Repton mused in thought for a moment, before he smiled, "'Crimson Hawk', yes that will do nicely."

Repton then stood, while nodding to Horek, who put a yellow tag on Aerrow's right wing

Then he turned to Finn, "And this one?"

"He put up quite the fight as the Stalkers stormed the cave, got a hold of some rocks and began lobbing them at the Stalkers, we have quite a few head injuries to deal with, luckily, no casualties," Horek answered

"Hmm, not bad, a marksmen eh, all of my current Hunter Hawks are trained in close quarters, but it might be an idea to put some ranged expertise in there as well," Repton mused. He then turned to Horek as he made for the main thoroughfare through the cages, "Tag 'White Hawk', as well."

Horek nodded and followed his orders, then his eyes fell on Piper, "My Lord, it seems we missed a little blue bird."

Repton stopped walking, and turned back, his eyes roaming over Dove, before moving in Aerrow's direction, and landing on Piper

She tensed, fear gripping tight

Repton stepped up to her, looking her over, "Hmm, nice colour to the wings, blue is rare, will certainly drive up the price..." he now squatted in front of her cage, peering at her. "Doesn't look particularly suited to manual labour or combat though, an entertainer perhaps, she'd certainly be popular with those wings."

Starling suddenly cleared her throat, "Permission to speak Master?"

Repton didn't even glance up from his examination of Piper, "Given."

"You probably would get a good price based on her looks, but you might be demanded for a refund later on," Starling said

Now Repton looked up, standing and turning back to Starling, "Oh?"

Starling nodded, "She's a troublesome one, would be difficult to indoctrinate, and even if it was successful, she'd be little more than a vegetable afterwards."

Repton raised an eyebrow sceptically, "And you know this because?"

Starling steeled herself, "We... lived in the same neighbourhood, and as you know, Telani are a social people... so I know that at least four years ago she was incredibly stubborn and wilful... she'd be difficult to break."

Repton turned this over in his mind, before Starling spoke again, "Would be a safer bet to leave her here, rather than deal with a complicated and possibly expensive indoctrination that would ultimately, reduce her value considerably."

Repton continued to ponder, before turning to Horek, "What do you think?"

Horek shrugged, "She isn't wrong, and that stubborn nature would be more easily bred out here, more naturally too, which would help our continued operations here in the long run."

Repton glanced back at Piper, before sighing, "A shame to waste such beautiful wings, still, hopefully she'll pass them on to her children." He then turned to Horek, "Red tag her then."

Horek nodded and turned towards Piper, while Repton looked ready to continue through the cages

Piper processed all that they were saying in an instant, she was being rejected, was going to have her memory of _what_ exactly had happened erased, and left behind

A part of her felt elated, she was going to be okay

Then the yellow tag on Dove's right wing caught her peripheral vision, and she remembered, that all her friends would not only be taken, but had been chosen by Repton himself

In that moment, she knew she couldn't let herself get left behind, if they were going to escape, they'd have a better chance, together

"To hell with that, if my friends are being taken, then I refuse to forget this and be left behind!" Piper shouted at the top of her lungs, drawing the attention of everyone in the quarry

A Telani had just shouted at Lord Repton Corvax

The caged Telani, looked at Piper with a mixture of fear and amazement

The Stalkers all looked terrified, as did Starling, her face, now incredibly pale, as Repton slowly turned back around, to face Piper

Before he could speak, Piper spoke again, venting all the anxiety, fear, and anger she felt at her current situation. "What, just because I'm scrawnier than the rest means I'm not _good_ enough for you, let me out of this cage and we'll see who the tough one around here is!"

No one spoke, the quarry was dead silent as Repton stared at Piper, his face impassive

He then held his hand out to Horek, who quickly handed him a stun baton

Piper had only a moment to react, before the baton's business end, was shoved between the bars of her cage, and connected with her shoulder

She let out a cry of pain as electricity surged over her body, her wings spasming in the enclosed space

Behind Repton, Starling stood immobile, but shaking, every fibre of her being _screaming_ at her to do something. Her fear of the consequences, were all that kept her in place

Repton pulled the baton back after ten seconds, causing Piper to collapse to the cage floor as she was released. Repton held the baton back out to Horek, "Let that be a lesson to all who dare to speak out of turn or disobey their Master," he called to the caged Telani, before speaking to Horek, "Now get her tagged and out of my sight."

Horek nodded, and moved to take the baton, but Piper spoke again

"Coward, fight me fairly, open this cage and fight me like you have some goddamn balls, you yellow-bellied lizard!"

If it had been quite before, now the silence was deathly

Speaking out of turn was one thing, _insulting_ the Master, was entirely another. The Gorvans looked on, knowing full well that the little blue bird was as good as dead

Repton turned back, baton still in hand, a look of fury plastered on his scaled visage

Starling felt her heart almost come to a stop as Repton prepared to drive the baton between the bars again, this time, it wouldn't come out, until Piper was dead

Before sense or reason could intervene, Starling stepped forward, and uttered a single word, "NO!"

All eyes now locked on Starling, even Piper and Repton were staring at her, both with shocked looks on their faces

Repton straightened, the baton moving away from Piper, for the moment

"Red Hawk, care to explain your outburst," Repton growled

Starling quickly collapsed to her knees, knowing full well the trouble she was in, "I'm sorry Master, please I humbly beg your forgiveness."

Repton stalked to Starling this time, baton still held at the ready, "You didn't answer me, Red Hawk."

Starling felt the tears run freely down her cheeks, she couldn't reveal who Piper was to her, if Repton knew that, he'd never leave Piper behind, she had to think of something else, and quick

Unfortunately, Piper chose that moment to speak up

"Don't you dare hurt my sister you coward!"

Repton paused, looking back at Piper, and the look of fury on her face as she griped the bars of her cage, almost like she could break them. Then he looked back at Starling, at her purple locks, just a few shades darker than Piper's own raven coloured hair

Repton recalled the exchange between Lark and the Telani during the chase, he had assumed it had been meant as a catch all, after all, the Telani were a social people, which often led to unofficial family members

Now that he studied them though, realisation dawned, he stared down at Starling, "Lift your head, Red Hawk."

Slowly, Starling did as commanded, and once she was looking up at him, it was confirmed. There were noticeable differences, he guessed one of them had more from their father, and the other the mother, certainly the skin tones would seem to indicate that

Then Repton remembered what Starling had convinced him to do, and he smiled, "That was a sly move Red Hawk," he said, before stomping his foot onto her left wing, causing a cry of pain from Starling, and one of anger and concern from Piper

Repton squatted down in front of Starling, "Trying to get me to leave your little sister behind, very sly... too sly, as it happens... after all, if you're capable of this kind of deception, who knows what else you're capable of?"

Starling sobbed as she remained prostrated, "Please Master, I'm sorry, I was only trying to protect my little sister, nothing more I swear – AAGH!"

Repton cut her off, by sinking his claws into the base of her right wing, "You deceived me Red Hawk, for that, you must be punished."

Piper felt terror grip her as Starling cried out in agony from the pain, "STOP, I'M THE ONE AT FAULT HERE, PUNISH ME, NOT HER!"

Repton stopped, glancing back at Piper, seeing her tear stained face, a slow, evil, smile stretched his lips

He released Starling, standing back up, "Get up Red Hawk," he barked

Still sobbing, Starling did as she was told, head bowed, then the baton Repton held was thrust into her vision. She looked up at him, confused

"Both you and your sister must be punished for your insubordination," he growled, "I want you to give your sister a twenty second shock, on two thirds power, to prove you are truly sorry for your infraction, and that your loyalty remains whole."

Piper's eyes widened as the implications of what Repton had just said hit her. She looked to Starling, seeing the look of shock on her face, their eyes locked, and Piper saw the despair there

"Is there a problem, Red Hawk?"

Starling's head bowed again as she spoke, "No Master," she replied quietly, while taking the baton from him, and beginning to walk towards Piper's cage

Piper backpedalled as far from her sister as the cage allowed, "No, Starling please, don't do this." It was one thing to be struck with the baton by a Gorvan, quite another, for it to be her own sister who wielded it. With cold realisation, she understood the punishment Repton was inflicting upon them

"I'm sorry Piper," Starling sobbed as she approached, "Why didn't you just keep your mouth shut."

With that, Starling thrust the baton between the bars, connecting with Piper's left shoulder

Piper screamed in agony as her body began convulsing again

The others could only look on, Dove, Aerrow and Finn all shared looks of horror and despair, realising for the first time, the control Repton exerted over his slaves, and the futures that lay ahead of them

Horek looked on impassively, years of this treatment having numbed him to the pain of other sentient beings

The Telani in the cages surrounding them, looked away, but were unable to block Piper's screams out, some were even crying

Black Hawk was smiling as he saw the tears stream down Starling's cheeks; at last, he had found a weakness. The other Hunter Hawks simply remained impassive

The Stalkers were also impassive, to them, this was the norm, if a slave stepped out of line, they were punished. That didn't mean though that they agreed with how extreme Repton was going

While Repton just stood there, malicious grin splitting his scaled visage, Piper's screams, music to his ears, Starling's tears, the finest art

Finally he held up a hand, "That's enough Red Hawk."

Starling quickly shut the baton off, and pulled it away from Piper, tossing it on the ground behind her. Her chest was heaving, tears still tracking down her cheeks, as she looked down at her little sister, curled up in her cage, still smoking slightly from her torture

She was breathing though, she was still alive, and that was all that mattered to Starling

"I'm so sorry Piper," she whispered, before a clawed hand settled delicately on her shoulder

Despite the care it was placed with, Starling couldn't suppress a shudder this time

"Very good Red Hawk," Repton said, "Very good indeed, you've earned my forgiveness." She then felt him inspecting her right wing, "Go get yourself patched up, and then wait on my shuttle."

Starling nodded, before pulling away, bowing, and leaving for the shuttles

Repton looked down at Piper, his malicious grin taunting her as she glared back up at him, "Yellow tag her Horek, she may be useful after all."

Horek nodded as Repton turned away

A moment later, Piper had a yellow tag on her right wing, she stayed curled in her cage, tears silently tracking down her cheeks as Horek followed his employer

"Piper," Aerrow whispered, "Piper are you alright?"

Piper shook her head, and continued to cry

As she did, she felt the thing that was trapped in her boot, digging in again

Curious, she ran her hand down to her boot, running her fingers, over its contours, _I wonder?_

She was broken from her thoughts by a Stalker reporting to Repton nearby

"Sir, the _'Destiny Ascension'_ has arrived with its escorts, they request time to dismantle the stealth station in orbit around Atmos' largest moon."

Repton glanced up at the sky, before turning back to the Stalker, "Tell them that so long as they _stay_ on the other side of the moon, they can do as they please, I will allow no further disruptions to the hunt."

The Stalker nodded, and took off to deliver his message

' _Destiny Ascension', what is that, a ship maybe?_ Piper couldn't really process the information at the moment, too much had happened, she was in too much pain, both physically, and emotionally

She raised her right wing, looking at that hated tag, _I wanted this, just like Starling said, I could have kept my mouth shut, and I'd have been left behind..._

 _But then I'd have forgotten... I'd never know what had happened to my friends... I don't think I could have lived with that... not knowing_

 _So now I'm to become a slave... forever..._

Fresh tears pricked her eyes as she thought of her parents, they'd never know what happened to her, just like Starling, she would disappear... forever

 _I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry dad, I'm so sorry_

Piper began to quietly sob, as the reality of this morning finally sunk in, and despair, filled her to overflowing

* * *

 _Destiny Ascension, Council Chambers, July2nd, 11:00am_

The Council chambers aboard the _'Destiny Ascension'_ weren't as grand as those on the Citadel, but were none the less, impressive

A high, vaulted room, with a raised balcony at the back, where the Council stood

Behind where those who spoke to the Council stood, were monitors and computer terminals, teeming with data being streamed in from all over Council space, so that the Council always had their finger on the pulse, no matter if they were on the Citadel or not

In war time, this room also served as a mobile command centre for the Council, and their best generals and admirals would direct Council forces from this room

It was in this room, that Lark met the Council, officially, for the first time. She knew their names already of course

Councillor Anakin Anderson Skywalker, councillor for the United Nations of Earth

Councillor Tevos, the Asari Councillor

Councillor Valern, councillor for the Salarian Union

Councillor Sparatus, the Turian councillor

And finally, Councillor Thor, for the Asgard

The Council had been formed millennia ago, when the Asari, Salarians and the Asgard first met. All three races favoured diplomacy and compromise, over war, and conflict

Both the Asari and Salarians were races on a similar – if slightly more advanced – technological standing, as that of the UNE. While the Asgard, were all that remained, of a once mighty, galaxy spanning civilisation, which had since been reduced to a shadow of its former self

After meeting, the three races worked together, to bring others under their wings, to teach them, lead them, and protect them, and so the Galactic Council, was born

The Turians joined a few millennia after the Council's formation

And the UNE joined roughly two thousand years afterwards

The five groups continued to be the teachers, leaders, and protectors, of a multitude of different races, who called Council space their home

Now, Lark and Torrens stood before them, and it was clear they were not happy

"So let me get this straight, Lieutenant," Sparatus began, "You decided, to directly ignore orders, remain on the planet, and perform a study of the Telani tradition known as the Fledging?"

"That is correct Councillor," Lark responded, maintaining eye contact

"What possessed you to do this, when you knew that Hegemony slavers were on their way to the planet?" Councillor Tevos asked

"I didn't know about the slavers Councillor," Lark replied, "But even if I had, I still would have stayed."

Thor raised a brow at this, while Tevos, Sparatus and Valern stared at her in shock. Anakin just shook his head resignedly

"How did you _not_ know about the slavers!?" Valern exclaimed

"Simple Councillor, I wasn't told," Lark stated, her eyes flicking to Torrens

"Torrens," Anakin groaned, "What have you done?"

Torrens now stepped forward, "This is my fault Councillors, I claim the responsibility, I failed to notify the Lieutenant of the danger, this was a deliberate act on my part."

The Councillors stared at him, gobsmacked

Anakin ran a hand down his face, groaning in defeat

"This is a serious breach of protocol Professor Torrens," Thor noted

"I'm aware Councillor, and I'm fully prepared to accept the consequences," Torrens replied

The Councillors all looked at one another, before turning back to the two of them, "We also heard that the Lieutenant came close to setting off a Thermal Detonator, on the planet's surface, which would have vaporized everything within a hundred miles, including innocent Telani," Sparatus said

"The vast majority of the Telani were sheltered inside a cave, and protected behind my biotics, only those who stood in front of me would have been killed, and the vast majority of them were Gorvans," Lark stated

"Be that as it may," Thor began, "This loss of life would have reached the ears of the Hegemony, and resulted in a war between them and the UNE, with Atmos caught in the middle."

Torrens again stepped forward, "Which is why I stopped the Lieutenant _before_ she could set it off."

"Torrens, if she hadn't listened to you, then both of you, along with Repton Corvax and a large number of Gorvans would be dead, and we'd be at war with the Hegemony," Anakin countered

"What about the Telani!?" Lark exclaimed

All eyes turned back to her, "What about them?" Valern asked

"You're not just going to leave them in this situation, are you!?" Lark exclaimed

"We don't have much choice, Repton Corvax owns the planet, we have no grounds to step in..."

"We have plenty of grounds to step in!" Lark shouted, cutting Tevos off, "Their abducting and enslaving innocent lives down there, teenagers, most of whom are _my_ own age... you're just going to condemn them to their fate!?"

"To seize the planet, we'd have to declare war on the Hegemony, this would mean dragging all of the races who rely on us for protection, into a war they don't want, to the defence of a planet and a species they know _nothing_ about. A war, that we _could_ lose," Thor stated, to the nods and murmurs of agreement from the rest of the Council

Lark stared at them all, too stunned for words

"The fate of the Telani _is_ a regrettable one," Anakin began, "But it is a fate we cannot change, at least at this point in time."

"That is why we approved the Professor's mission to the planet," Tevos said

Lark blinked here and looked to Torrens

"We were hoping to gather enough data for a documentary on the situation, something to motivate the people," she paused here, allowing time for her words to sink in. "Now, thanks to you Lieutenant, that plan is sunk."

Lark winced like she'd been stung

"This isn't her fault, _I_ dragged her into this, the fault lies with me," Torrens insisted

"As noble as that sentiment is, at the end of the day, it was the Lieutenant who revealed the operation on Atmos to the Gorvans, and almost started a war," Valern countered

Lark's fists clenched at her sides, "Maybe if I was _told_ all of this, I'd agree with you, Councillors," she hissed through gritted teeth. "But I wasn't, I was left in the dark, made to believe that we were doing nothing to help those people realise their potential, to open their eyes to the galaxy around them."

Lark now glared up at the Councillors, "And when I do find out the truth, I find that your plan to help them is nothing but half promises that _may_ work."

"Lieutenant, we're only trying..." but Lark cut Tevos off again

"NO, YOUR NOT TRYING, NONE OF YOU ARE, YOUR JUST TRYING TO BURY YOUR GUILT AND YOUR SHAME BY HALF-ASSING IT, TELLING YOURSELVES THAT YOUR HALF-ASSED PLAN WILL WORK, THAT IT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WHEN REALLY IT WON'T!" Lark roared, gaining the attention of everyone in the chambers

"WELL I'M NOT GOING TO SIT AROUND, WHILE THOSE PEOPLE DOWN THERE NEED ME!" with that, Lark began marching out of the Council chambers, two guards attempted to stop her from leaving. Lark merely raised a glowing blue hand at them

"Stop!"

Lark glanced back, to see Torrens, holding his hand out towards her and the guards, he then looked back at the Councillors. "Please Councillors, this is my fault, if I hadn't brought Lark in the first place, none of this would have happened," he begged

Silence settled over the chambers, as everyone gathered awaited the Council's decision

Finally, Anakin spoke, "Lark's record from the Academy is already exemplary, and considering the fact that had she known in advance, or not even been picked for the mission, none of us would currently be here discussing this."

Once again, the Councillors all glanced at one another, before turning back to the room at large

"Lieutenant Lark Cyclonis, you are free to go, but please remain aboard the Destiny Ascension until we have resolved the matter with Professor Torrens," Tevos stated, causing the guards in front of Lark to stand down

Lark lowered her arm, deactivating her biotics, before turning back to the Council and ripping off a perfect salute, "Yes Councillor, thank you."

Then she marched out, the door sliding shut behind her

"She's a wild one for sure," Valern noted

"Just like her grandmother was," Tevos agreed

More murmurs of agreement went round the chambers

"Councillors," Torrens said, drawing their attention, "While I do agree that there is little we can do to resolve this situation directly... surely there _must_ be something, even if it's small."

"We _were_ doing something Torrens," Anakin replied, "We were funding your mission, now, we'll have to wait a minimum of several decades before we can try again."

"During which time, the planet will be culled for a third time since its enslavement," Sparatus added

"Agreed," Thor said, "But as for the girl, she has potential, don't you think?"

Now all eyes turned to Thor, most of them shocked, they knew of what he spoke

"You think _she'd_ make a good candidate?" Valern asked aghast

Thor nodded, "Why not, she's driven, intelligent, brave, is already a capable fighter, if inexperienced. And if _any_ good has come of this event, it is the fact that she has shown she is more than willing to give her life for the greater good... can you think of a more perfect candidate?"

"She's too reckless, emotional, she'd get herself killed and drag the galaxy into a war at the same time," Sparatus countered

"For now at least, but I wasn't suggesting we recruit her now, perhaps in a decade or so, once she's had a chance to prove herself," Thor replied

A small smile now appeared on Tevos' blue features, "You know something Thor, your absolutely right."

All eyes now turned to her as she continued, "Perhaps we should have some eyes placed on her, to monitor her..." she then turned to look at the door through which Lark had departed, "After all, we wouldn't want her doing anything, _reckless and emotional_ now, would we."

"What are you suggesting?" Anakin asked

"For now, nothing, let's see what move she makes first, then we'll see what cards we have to play."

* * *

 _Destiny Ascension, Crew Quarters, July 2_ _nd_ _, 11:25 am_

Lark stormed into the quarters she'd been given aboard the _'Destiny Ascension'_ , tears brimming in her eyes, as she collapsed onto the bed, the stress of the day, finally coming to bear

 _I abandoned them_ , she thought, as memories of Piper and the others came unbidden to her mind. She saw the looks of fear, the silent pleading in their eyes for her to protect them

She gazed up at the ceiling, feeling the tears rolling silently down her cheeks

Not even realising what she was doing, she activated her focus, calling up images of Piper and the others, which she'd saved to it

She saw their happy smiles, the exuberant way they approached life... the fear that had consumed them as the Gorvan came

Lark stifled a sob, _this is all I have left of them, I'll never..._

Lark's thoughts trailed off as she noticed a message in one corner of her holographic display that said _'signal received'_

Curious, she reached out and opened the message

Instantly, a view of Atmos sprung up before her, and a ping began emitting from the planet

 _The quarry!_ Lark thought, instantly recognising the area the ping indicated

 _How is that possible though, it's just the Gorvan's down there right now... unless_

Lark zoomed in on the ping, tracking it to its source, she was lucky it was running on background wavelengths, otherwise it would have been detected, by either side

Soon, she had found the source, and her heart leapt into her throat

The ping, was coming from Piper's Focus, the one she'd picked up with her name painted onto it by her sister

 _She still has it, that means I can contact her while she's in range... no, more than that... I can_ _ **track**_ _her_

An idea slowly began forming in her mind, it was _beyond_ risky, dangerous, and above all reckless, but with a little help, it might just work

Lark quickly opened her accounts, checking how much she had saved up

 _There goes my Academy fund_ , she thought, but she didn't really care, so long as she could save just a half dozen Telani, so long as she could save her friends, it will have been worth it

But first

Taking a breath, and checking to make sure it was safe first, she opened a closed link to Piper's Focus

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 11:30am_

Piper and the others had been loaded onto one of the first shuttles leaving the quarry

The area where the shuttle's occupants would normally be standing in, was filled with cages, ready for transport back up to Repton's flagship

The doors had just slid shut, when Piper felt something buzzing against her foot

She looked down at her boot, her eyes unfocused as she stared down the gap between the boot and her leg. At the bottom, she could make out a blue light that was blinking incessantly

It took Piper a moment to realise what it was, then clarity returned

 _The Holo-device!_

She quickly wormed her boot off, tipped it up, and dropped the device into her palm

She then waited expectantly for something to happen, but nothing did, just a light buzzing and the incessant flashing blue light

 _What's wrong, I don't know what to do with this..._ Piper's thoughts trailed off, as she thought back to Lark. _Hers was_ _attached to her right temple_

Piper quickly did the same, putting the flat side to her right temple. The moment she did, a blue holographic interface sprung up in front of her eyes, and also, Lark

"Lark!?" Piper exclaimed, catching the attention of the others around her

Lark made a shushing motion, "Keep it down Piper, if the Gorvans hear you, they'll destroy the Focus."

Piper quickly clamped her mouth shut and checked on the pilots. Luckily she was at the far end of the ship to the cockpit, so they hadn't heard her

"We're good I think," Piper said

Lark nodded, "Okay, now I need you to check if your Focus is on privacy setting, and if it isn't switch it to that."

Piper glanced at Lark with a raised eyebrow, "Why?"

"There isn't time right now for why's Piper, please just do it, I'll explain in a bit," Lark replied, exasperated

"Piper, who are you talking too?" Finn asked

Piper glanced at him confused, "Lark, can't you see her?" she whispered

Finn shook his head, so did Aerrow and Dove

"Good, privacy setting in place, shut it off for a second so they can see me, but turn it back on straight away again," Lark said

It took Piper a moment to find the settings options, but once she did, she did as Lark said, causing the other three to gasp as Lark momentarily appeared before them

Piper then turned to Lark, a determined look on her face, "You left us."

"I know," Lark replied, a dejected look on hers, "And I'm sorry for that, I truly am, but I didn't have a choice."

Piper opened her mouth to say something, but Lark beat her to it, "I'm serious Piper, there are things going on here you wouldn't understand, and I don't have time to explain them."

Piper frowned at that, "How come?"

Lark sighed, "I assume they're going to be taking you up to their ship in orbit soon."

Piper nodded, "We just got loaded onto one of their small ships, their running through final flight checks now."

Lark nodded, "Well once you get onto that big ship, we won't be able to communicate, too dangerous, any attempt at communication could be detected, and if that happens we lose your Focus, and _you_ likely get thrown out the airlock."

That sobered Piper up a bit; the idea of getting thrown out into the vacuum of space had that effect

"Okay, fair enough," she grumbled, "But you _will_ explain why you had to leave?"

Lark smiled now, "I can do one better."

Piper raised an eyebrow

"So long as your careful and you keep it hidden, that Focus your wearing is a wealth of information, you can find out almost anything you want to know about the galaxy," Lark said, causing Piper's eyes to widen to the size of dinner plates. "Granted you should take everything on it with a grain of salt, the information on that focus is probably 60 years out of date, but it should still be okay for the big stuff," Lark added

Piper was dumbstruck for a moment, before shaking herself to clear her head and get back on track. "And how will that explain anything?"

Lark rolled her eyes, "Let's just say for now, the galaxy is a complicated place, and a lot of people's lives were at stake, not just yours, and not just Atmos."

Piper thought about that for a moment, then heard the pilots discussing something with someone outside, _we're running out of time_

"I think they're about to take off," Piper said

Lark nodded, "Okay Piper, listen to me, your lives, your freedom could well depend on it."

Piper nodded, even though she wanted to question Lark further, it would have to wait, right now, _I have to trust her, because no one else is willing to help us_. The thought conjured memories of last night's conversation again, and they hardened Piper's resolve

"Whatever you do Piper, _don't_ lose that Focus, do whatever you need to do to keep it," Lark began, earning a nod from Piper, "No matter what happens Piper, so long as you keep that Focus safe, I _will_ come for you, do you hear me, I'm _not_ abandoning you, I _will_ find you, I _will_ save you, as many of you as I can, I swear it Piper."

Piper felt the sincerity of the words hit her like a sledgehammer, momentarily knocking the air out of her lungs, so all she could manage was a teary nod

Lark gave her a reassuring smile, "Just hold on, stay strong, don't let the Gorvans break you, I' am coming, I promise, this isn't over."

With that, Lark disconnected, her form fizzling out

Piper merely let out a choked sob of relief, as she turned her gaze to the bulkhead above her, using her Focus to see through it to the sky above

"I'll be waiting," she breathed, tears of relief running down her cheeks

* * *

 _Destiny Ascension, Crew Quarters, July 2_ _nd_ _, 11:40am_

Lark wiped her own tears away as she disconnected from Piper, she'd sent her promise, now it was time to fulfil it

She opened a search engine, and began entering in some parameters

' _Private ship for hire'_

' _Mercenaries'_

' _Bounty Hunters'_

A long list suddenly filled her vision

Near the top was one that intrigued her

"Tano Shepard Solutions," she read, "Mercenary ship and crew for hire, specialises in solving problems, be it pirates, smugglers, slavers and more. Highly professional and skilled crew and top of the line ship, frigate class."

A slow smile spread across Lark's face, as she opened the link

Her vision was filled with multiple resumes and glowing reviews from past clients, along with more details about the ship and crew

"Tantalus drive core, IES stealth system, THANIX CANNON!" Lark exclaimed, her eyes widening at the ship's specs

She then looked further, finding crew profiles

"Commander Shepard, Ex-UNE Navy officer, Flight Lieutenant Moreau, pilot, with accompanying Merb Co-pilot. Chief Physician Chakwas, Ex-C-Sec officer Vakarian, Marksmen. T'soni, information broker, a Blizzarian engineer, a Wallop, Jack, call sign Zero, most powerful human biotic on record," Lark was amazed at what she was seeing, and it was only the tip of the iceberg

"A GETH PLATFORM!?" that one surprised her, Geth – while they were a part of the Galactic Council – were rarely seen outside the Perseus Veil

So the fact that one was serving aboard a mercenary ship was almost unheard of

"Miss Goto... technical specialist?" this one confused Lark because there wasn't a whole lot of information, besides a basic skill set

"EDI, Enhanced Defence Intelligence... wait, is that an AI?" AI's were almost as rare as Geth outside the Veil, since the Council had long ago outlawed their creation. However, because of the Council's approach towards upholding the rights of _all_ sentient life, once an AI was created, it was considered as criminal an act to terminate it, as it was to murder any organic being

Illegal to create, but once created, they were there to stay

The last few weren't anything really notable, a weapons expert, a specialist, and... "An Assassin!?" Lark had to blink a couple of times to make sure she was reading the profile right. Once she was sure, she went through it again

"Thane Krios, gun for hire, currently serving as part of the 'Tano Shepard Solutions' mercenary group," Lark glanced again at the entire page, taking in every detail and preserving it to memory

 _Well, I was looking for the best, they look like the very best_

Lark took a breath, then reached for the contact button, and pressed it

She waited with baited breath as her Focus trilled a few times

Then a robotic voice answered

"You've reach 'Tano Shepard Solutions', what problem do you need solving?"

"Hi," Lark replied nervously, "Is this EDI?"

"Speaking."

"My name is Lark Cyclonis, I'd like to talk to the Commander please, it's important"

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid the Commander is very busy right now, if you'd like to make an appointment..."

Lark cut her off, "No this can't wait, please, I need your help, with a group of slavers."

There was a moment of silence before EDI replied, "One moment, I'll connect you to the Commander."

* * *

 **To be Continued Dear Readers  
**

 **and today's secret chapter title is called 'SPOT ALL THE CALL BACKS AND SHOUT OUTS!'**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this one, please don't forget to leave a review (please, please, PLEASE... pretty please with a marshmallow on top)**

 **As always, constructive criticism is welcome, and I will see you all, in the next chapter, LATERS ; )**


	5. Chapter 5

******DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely cause I want it to****** _ ** ** **,******_ **Additionally, credit to cover image goes to Mythorie over on Deviant Art, your awesome mate**

 **WHAT UP DEAR READERS!  
**

 **So yea, third times the charm with that summary, I think I got a winner this time, we'll see, still waiting on my cover image though, I've asked the guy for permission to use the image I'm after, but the guy hasn't even responded. If anyone here knows Mythorie over on Deviant Art, could you pls tell him CommanderCritic is trying to get in touch with him please, thanks**

 **(If anyone wants to know what artwork I'm trying to get for my cover image, it's 'Winged Lessons')**

 **Now to the story**

 **This is going to be a HUGE shout out to all Mass Effect fans out there, the reason this one took slightly longer than usual is because I was trawling through wiki's to make sure I got certain things exactly right**

 **Speaking of, Omega is what you'll want to be looking up this time if you need more details on it, along with Aria T'Loak. If you want, you can also look up the Normandy and it's crew, but I'll be going over them in greater detail next chapter, for clarity though, I'm using the Normandy SR2 in this story, rather than the SSV Normandy**

 **Not that I don't like the SSV, but I fell in LOVE with the SR2, it was the ship we were around for longer and put more work into, and it was also the ship we had at the end of the original ME trilogy**

 **Finally, this is a sort of transition chapter, not much really happens apart from tying up lose ends from last chapter and setting up for future chapters, I hope I kept it entertaining though**

 **And I do believe that's everything, so...**

 ** ** ** **WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS THEMES OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND SLAVERY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR PREVIOUS PAGE********

 ** ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all, Welcome back to... Stellaris, Book 1: The Fledging******

 _ ** ** **Blurb:******_

 **On the planet of Atmos, the Telani people prepare for their annual tradition known as the Fledging, a journey undertaken by Telani about to enter adulthood. On this journey we follow a group of young Telani – Piper, Aerrow, Finn and their older peer, Dove – excited to begin their Fledging. However, unbeknownst to them, they have an unexpected guest, a Human, called Lark Cyclonis, secretly visiting their planet, studying their people and culture**

 **Together they depart on the Fledging, all the while unaware of the shadow that looms over Atmos, and is due to strike again. When it does, the youngsters are flung into a Galaxy of danger, meeting new people, both friends, and enemies, and reuniting with long lost loved ones. The young Telani of Atmos are about to find out, that their world is so much bigger than they could have possibly imagined**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 5: The Mercenary_**

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 1:15pm_

"Keep running, just keep running," Harrier shouted as he and Kite raced through the forest

Right behind them, they could hear the dreaded sound of their pursuers

Once again, Harrier brought up his radio, "Skyknight Command, come in Skyknight Command, this is Harrier, do you read me!?"

Again he was answered by static, "Damn it, this is no good, the trees are blocking the signal!"

"Then we need to get above them!" Kite called out ahead of him

"We do that, and they'll just pick us off," Harrier stated

"Not if we try it there we won't," Kite replied, pointing ahead

Harrier looked to where she was indicating, and a smile slowly began to form, "Let's do it."

* * *

The lead Stalker leaned out of the open shuttle door, peering down into the trees below. He could just about make out their targets, running beneath them

They had no trouble keeping up, the shuttle's speed was far superior, the problem was getting to them. The foliage was too thick even for jetpack flight, the upside to that though, was the thick foliage would be hampering radio communications as well, which meant they couldn't have contacted Atmosia yet

Suddenly, one of his men called out, he looked up, seeing a large rock formation approaching fast, with cold dread he realised what the young Telani planned to do

"Deploy now, move, shoot them the moment they break for the skies!"

His men obeyed instantly, jumping from the shuttle while activating their packs, the squad began to fan out, ready to intercept their prey

* * *

Harrier glanced Kite's way, this plan was risky, it could end up with one or both of them captured, but it would provide at least a few minutes worth of time to contact Skyknight Command

They both nodded, radio's at the ready, then simultaneously took to the skies, each aiming for a different side of the formation

The Gorvans weren't quite ready for the speed with which the young Telani cleared the tree line, and with two separate targets, coordination was difficult. They decided to focus Harrier, being the larger of the two

Harrier jinked, ducked, dodged and weaved, using the branches, and the rock formation to try to shield him from fire. He was nearing the top and seemed to have lost his pursuers, he brought up his radio

"Skyknight Command, this is Harrier, come in!"

This time, his prayers were answered, "Harrier, what's going on?" Lightning himself asked

 _Thank the Spirits_ , "We're under attack, I repeat, we're under attack, we need immediate assistance!" Harrier replied

"What? What do you mean _under attack_?"

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK DAMM IT, UNKNOWN HOSTILES HAVE ATTACKED THE FLEDGING-!" Harrier was cut off mid shout, as the Gorvan shuttle suddenly appeared in front of him, and the Gorvan standing in the cargo hold stunned him at point blank range

Harrier landed with a thud in the cargo hold of the shuttle, the radio clattering next to him, buzzing as Lightning tried to raise Harrier again. "Harrier, Harrier come in!"

The Gorvan growled, and stomped on the radio, "Damn human made a right mess of things."

Movement then caught his eye as the second Telani broke away from the rock formation, flying directly for the city, "AFTER HER!"

* * *

Kite saw Harrier go down, tears were streaming from her eyes as she flew faster than she'd ever flown before. _I have to get back, I have to tell everyone what happened here_

Suddenly, her radio began buzzing, she grabbed it, "This is Kite," she said breathlessly

"Kite, this is Lightning, what's going on, Harrier just said you're under attack!?"

"That's correct sir, I'm being pursued by unknown hostiles, they've already corralled everyone else at the old quarry, Harrier and I were the only ones to make it out of the area," Kite replied, as she heard the sounds of her pursuers gaining. She eyed the terrain ahead, she would need cover, and soon

"Where are you right now!?" Lightning asked

"10 klicks southwest of the quarry, on a direct bearing for Atmosia, multiple hostiles on my tail, can't shake them," Kite responded in rapid succession

"Understood, we're deploying fast response units," Lightning responded, "Just focus on staying ahead of them, whatever you do, don't get caught!"

"Understood sir, Kite out," she replied, before putting her radio away, and jinking to the left, a stun blast sailed over her left wing, missing by millimetres as she did. She then dived for the tree line again

* * *

The lead Stalker gave a growl of annoyance as he saw the young female Telani dive for the tree line, _She must have gotten through, now she's focusing on staying out of our reach_. "Stay on her, we _cannot_ allow her to retain her memories of what happened here, if you have to, kill her."

He received a chorus of affirmatives as he turned to the one he'd already caught, he pulled out a small disc like device, and placed it onto the young Telani male's temple. "Bring us about, we'll need to drop this one off once I'm done," the lead Stalker said to the shuttle pilots

He got another affirmative, as a holographic display appeared in front of him, _time to remove some incriminating evidence_

* * *

 _City of Atmosia, Skyknight Command, July 2_ _nd_ _, 1:27pm_

Lightning watched the VTOL aircraft take off, their thrusters firing the moment they were clear and pointing in the right direction. The _'Goshawk'_ transports were the fastest airborne vehicle they had, capable of reaching around 200m/h

Kite wouldn't get help immediately, but if she stayed on her current course, the team would reach her by the end of the day, she just had to hold out that long

 _Damn it, I knew something like this might happen, but the clan leaders didn't want weapons issued during the Fledging_ , Lightning's thoughts drifted to Aerrow, _Kite said that she and Harrier were the only ones to get away... does that mean..._

Lightning slammed his fist into a nearby pillar, _NO, I will not allow myself to think like that, not until I see the evidence with my own eyes_. He then thought of Ren and Cecilia, _first Starling, now Piper... this will crush them... worse than last time_

Lightning gritted his teeth, he'd hated telling them last time about Starling, he _loathed_ the thought of telling them about Piper. _I'll wait, until we know for sure... not everyone disappears... maybe she'll be one of them... until then... I'll spare them that pain_

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 1:30pm_

Kite's lungs were on fire, she had to rest, and soon, unfortunately, her pursuers had no such weaknesses, propelled as they were by technology. Her only advantage, was that she knew the terrain

Currently she'd been able to lose them twice now, but somehow, they never truly lost her, somehow they always knew her rough location, searching the area they'd last seen her, slowly closing in, forcing her to break cover again and start the chase anew

She couldn't keep this up much longer though, eventually, she'd tire completely, and then they'd catch her. If Lightning sent the fastest response, she only had to keep out of reach until day's end, _If only I could find a place to hide_

Suddenly a familiar sight greeted her eyes, a cliff face adorned by a pillar of rock, jutting upwards into the sky, at its base, a small river. Kite had spent many days by this rock, camping with her family; every family had their own favourite spot in this forest

As such, Kite knew that the pillar was in fact, hollow, and there were two entrances, one at the top, and one at the bottom. She couldn't go in the top, they'd see her, but if she could reach the water, with enough time to swim into the bottom entrance, there was a chance that she could lose her pursuers

She'd have to be quick though, the weapons they were using against her, looked to be firing some kind of energy, energy which the water could conduct, which would mean the end

Kite took a breath, she'd have to time this exactly right

She glanced again at where her pursuers were searching, they were steadily getting closer. Quietly, she picked up a rock, and waited for the perfect moment

Putting as much of her remaining energy behind the throw as possible, she lobbed the rock to the other side of her pursuers. It clattered against a tree, the sound drawing their attention

The moment they were turned away, she made a break for it, she was halfway to the water when she heard a cry. She glanced back during her dive, seeing her pursuers racing for her, she flattened her wings to her body as she hit the water, she wanted as little water resistance as possible

The Stalkers rushed to the water's edge, searching for their target, before one finally spoke, "Just shoot into the water, the energy will be conducted, we can pull her unconscious body out afterwards!"

Kite reached the small pocket of air under the rock lip, just as the Stalkers began firing, the energy rushed through the water, and clipped Kite's left wing as she pulled herself free of the surface. She bit off a cry as her left wing went numb and collapsed at her side

Kite herself collapsed to the ground, chest heaving as she caught her breath, her energy gone, it had been a gamble, if they found her now, she wouldn't be able to run. _Please Great Spirits, please keep me hidden_ , she prayed, as her eyes drifted shut

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, Old Quarry, July 2_ _nd_ _, 1:45pm_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST HER?!" Repton roared

"I'm sorry my Lord, she dived into a small river and must have swam out of conductive range before my men began shooting," the lead Stalker of the chase team said, "We're fairly certain that she must have used the current to do this, so we're moving downriver, if she's there my Lord, we'll find her."

"What about her life sign?" Repton asked

"The ship is scanning the area, but they can't find anything, they say there is a large quantity of magnetic metals in the area that are effecting accurate scans," the lead Stalker replied

Repton gave a growl of annoyance, "You have three hours to find her, if she did contact her people, they'll be sending the fastest transport they have, meaning they'll be in your area by the end of the day."

"Understood sir, we'll find her."

"You had better," Repton growled, "Or I'll have your hides when we get back to Bogaton!"

With that, Repton disconnected, turning instead to watch as more Telani were loaded on board the shuttles and taken back to his Flagship. Nearly three centuries his family had exploited this planet and its people, all the while ensuring that the natives remained in ignorance

If they didn't find this one Telani though, that would change, and that presented a risk that the Telani might discover the Galactic Council. If the Telani made an official plea for aid, the Council would have the perfect excuse to move in and take the Planet from him

No, that was wrong, it wouldn't be perfect, they'd probably be a lengthy and very boring hearing, but victory for him would not be guaranteed, he _could_ lose the planet

 _Damn you Lark Cyclonis, this is all your doing, first your grandmother, and now you... if I ever see that human again, I'll rip her throat out_

A ping suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts, he glanced down at his wrist computer, a message had come up, it read _"Mission complete, returning to ship, 2.5kg mined."_

A slow smile stretched Repton's lips, _perhaps today was not a total loss, and the chances of the Telani finding the Council_ _ **are**_ _slim, still, things may get a lot harder after this... perhaps I should bring the next culling forward a bit, clean slate it_

As Repton ran these ideas in his head, he sent a command back to the sender of the message, before turning and heading for his shuttle, where Red Hawk waited. Despite her earlier deception, it seemed it _had_ been entirely motivated by the desire to protect her little sister, as there was now no change in her behaviour

 _Still, I should keep an eye on her for a bit, at least till we're back to Bogaton_

* * *

 _Destiny Ascension, Hanger bay 3, July 2_ _nd_ _, 2:10pm_

"And just _where_ do you think you're going?"

Lark froze at the sound of Torrens' voice, before turning around to face him

She was aboard the very shuttle he'd rescued her in, currently getting it ready for take off again, but she couldn't tell Torrens that

"Nowhere, just wanted to review any data the shuttle's scanners might have collected," she replied

Torrens gave her a disbelieving look, "Uh huh, and do you need a duffle bag for data review, a _full_ duffle bag?" he asked, nodding to the back of the shuttle, where Lark had hidden it

Lark winced, before sighing and standing up, "I'm doing this Torrens, I don't care about regulations, I don't care about the rules," she said, staring him in the eye, "Because if the rules allow for innocents to be enslaved, oppressed... then the rules are _wrong_."

Torrens didn't answer at first, just stared impassively

Lark fidgeted under his gaze, she felt like a school girl again, standing in front of the principal, which, in a way, was exactly the case

Finally, Torrens spoke, "Can you wait a few hours?"

Lark raised an eyebrow, "Why, so you can report me to the Council?"

Torrens shook his head, "No, I'm not reporting you."

Now Lark was confused, "What then?"

Torrens smiled, his first show of emotion since they'd started this conversation. "So I can get you clearance off the _'Ascension'_ ," he replied

Lark's jaw dropped, her eyes wide, "W-What, why!?"

Torrens chuckled, before his face grew pensive, "Because you're right... and so was your grandmother," he stated. "If we let it go... then villains like Repton win... we have to keep fighting... we can never give in or simply let them do as they please."

Lark felt tears brim in her eyes as Torrens spoke

"But we also need to recognise, when the time comes to pass the mantle to another," this caught Lark off guard, and she gave him another confused look

"What do you mean?"

Torrens chuckled again, "This fight passed me by decades ago Lark... I'm an old man now... that's what I was trying to get your grandmother to see five years ago... but it came out wrong... got tainted by anger and fear."

Torrens now took a breath, "But I'm not going to make the same mistake twice... I wasn't there for her when she needed me... I might not be able to fight this battle myself... but I can help you fight it, and that's what I'm going to do."

Lark felt the tears slide down her cheeks now, she dashed forward, embracing Torrens, "Thank you," she whispered

Torrens smiled, "Your welcome Lark, now lay low for a couple of hours, I'll get you that clearance... then you go finish this thing..." he trailed off as he broke away from Lark, making sure she was looking him in the eye for that last bit, "Just be careful, and come back alive."

Lark nodded, "I will, I promise."

* * *

 _Forest of Atmosia, July 2_ _nd_ _, 5:30pm_

Kite lay in her hiding spot, unable to believe she'd done it, she'd got away

Just half an hour ago, she'd heard the enemy shuttle return, but instead of look for her, it collected those that were searching, before she watched it make for the upper atmosphere

A sense of relief filled her at its departure, she'd made it, she was going to be alright

Now she looked back up at the skyward entrance, _the rescue team will be here soon, I should make sure they can see me_

Very carefully, and on legs shaking from the day's exertion, she climbed to the top, pulling herself through the hole at the top of the pillar, and surveying her surroundings

It felt like she was seeing them for the first time, everything looked washed clean; it brought tears to her eyes. Then she heard a noise, she turned, and her heart filled with joy as she watched the _'Goshawk'_ transport flying towards her

She began shouting and waving from her perch, and the craft turned towards her

Tears were pouring down her cheeks now, she'd done it, she was going to be okay, and she could tell Skyknight Command everything

When the transport was a short distance away however, Kite felt a shadow come over her, she turned around, to see Harrier descending from the skies towards her, a dead look plastered on his features, a rock held in his hands

In a viscous downward strike, he struck her, the rock glancing across her skull, causing her to plummet from the pillar. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness, was Harrier, standing at the top of the pillar, staring down in shock and horror, the rock dropping from numb fingers

* * *

' _Destiny Ascension', Hanger bay 3, July 2_ _nd_ _, 5:45 pm_

Lark was beginning to get nervous, when Torrens contacted her

"Alright, I got you your clearance, sending the codes now."

"What did you have to do to get this?" Lark asked

"Not much, but I would suggest heading to the planet first," Torrens replied

"Why?"

"I told the Council we still have equipment on the surface to recover," Torrens explained, "You'll be masquerading as the recovery team, hopefully they won't figure it out till your away from the system."

"What about the Gorvans?"

"Simple, the slaver fleet is leaving," Torrens replied, "And once you've activated the stealth drive, you'll be invisible in that small shuttle."

Lark was genuinely impressed, "You know when the Council figures out what you did, they'll come down on you hard."

"I know, but if you succeed, it'll have been worth it," he replied, "I just hope going to the planet isn't too much of an inconvenience for you."

"Not at all, I was meaning to make a stop there actually," Lark said as she prepared for take off

"Oh?"

"Yea, I owe two parents down there an explanation, and hope, something they haven't had in four years."

Torrens didn't respond immediately, finally though, he sighed resignedly, "Just be careful Lark."

"Always Professor, and thanks," with that, Lark cut the connection, as hanger security cleared her codes, and she sailed smoothly out and towards Atmos once again

* * *

 _City of Atmosia, Skyknight Command, July 2_ _nd_ _, 6:00pm_

Lightning was just contemplating sending out another team, when the first reported in

"Commander, we've got Harrier and Kite, but there's a problem."

"What kind of a problem?" Lightning asked

"Just as we arrived, Harrier leapt from nowhere and struck Kite with a rock," the Lieutenant replied, "I had one of my men out the shuttle the moment we spotted Harrier, and he was able to catch Kite before she struck the ground, but..."

Lightning felt fear coil in his gut as the man trailed off, "How bad?"

"She was lucky, a more direct hit, and Harrier would have killed her instantly... as is, she has a severe head trauma and has already lost a lot of blood, she needs immediate medical attention."

Lightning cursed, "What about the quarry?"

"I've deployed the rest of the team to secure it, but I've already turned the transport around, with Kite and Harrier in tow," the Lieutenant said, "The rest of the team is going to need extraction though."

Lightning sighed, "Alright, get back here ASAP, I'll despatch an empty _'Goshawk'_ to the quarry, should get there by tomorrow morning."

"Understood sir, rapid response team out."

Lightning sat back in his chair, groaning in exhaustion

The rapid response team had better radios, and he'd already had one of their low orbit satellites adjust its position for a better coverage in the direction of the quarry. Once it was secure, they'd report in, then he'd know the full extent of the damage

 _Why though, why would Harrier strike a fellow Skyknight like that? What is going on, what devilry does this to us, every four years?_

Half an hour later, the team's report came in, the old quarry was secure, and they'd found eighteen survivors. Including Harrier and Kite, that made twenty in all, out of two hundred, making one hundred and eighty of their children taken

To add to Lightning's despair, his son was not among the twenty recovered, neither was Piper

Tears fell from his eyes, he'd failed, he'd failed yet again in his sacred duty to protect and serve, yet this time, his failure struck harder than ever. His own son, gone, forever

Lightning let out his grief for a good ten minutes, before straightening up, and picking up his phone, dialling, it answered on the third ring

"Ren Peregrine here," came the voice on the other end

"Ren... its Lightning."

"Lightning... well... what can I do for you?" Ren asked

Lightning felt the words stick in his throat, "Ren... I... I just heard back from a rapid response team I dispatched to the old quarry."

Ren was quiet a moment, "Rapid response? Wait, the old quarry... but that's the area where..." Ren's exclamation trailed off as he put the pieces together

"I'm sorry Ren, I'm so sorry," Lightning sobbed

"No... it can't be... have you searched yet... she could still be out there..." Ren cried desperately

"I have good Intel that they were all gathered at the quarry... there's no one left to find Ren... even Aerrow is..." Lightning couldn't finish that sentence, just saying the words were like a punch in the gut

Another silence followed, finally, Ren spoke, "Thank you Lightning, for not keeping this from us."

With that, he hung up

Lightning choked out another sob, this was going to be a long night, then he dialled a new number

* * *

 _City of Atmosia, Peregrine residence, July 2_ _nd_ _, 7:15pm_

"NO, IT'S NOT TRUE, TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE REN!" Cecilia cried, tears already streaming down her cheeks

Ren couldn't even look at his wife as his own tears ran down his cheeks, "I'm sorry Cecilia... but it's true... I just heard it from Lightning himself... even Aerrow has disappeared."

Cecilia felt like she'd been punched in the gut, her little girl, gone, her baby. She collapsed, sobbing, not even responding as Ren sat next to her, wrapping her in his arms and wings

"I can't do this anymore Ren... I can't... not with both of them... gone," she sobbed

"I know," Ren replied, rubbing her back, "But we have to try... neither of them would want us to give up."

"Ren... our daughters are gone!" Cecilia exclaimed, "What exactly do we have left to live for!"

Ren had no answer

"They're not gone," a new voice suddenly said, causing the two of them to break apart as Ren leapt to his feet in the direction of the voice

"Show yourself!" Ren demanded to the shadows

From behind a balcony curtain, next to the open door, stepped a wingless figure. Ren tensed, preparing himself for battle, the figure however, raised their hands in placation

"I'm not here to fight, I'm a friend," it said, "Of Piper's"

That stopped both of them cold

Suddenly, Cecilia was on her feet too, "What about Piper, do you know where she is, tell us now!"

The figure shook their head, "I don't know where she _is_ , but I know where she's _going_."

"Then tell us and be on your way," Ren barked

Another head shake, "I'm sorry, I can't do that," Ren opened his mouth to retort, but the figure beat him to it. "This is not an enemy you can fight, all you'd end up doing is hurting yourselves, and Piper."

Ren's words died in his throat at the sincerity of the figure's words, "Why are you here then?"

"To give you some hope," the figure replied, and they could hear the smile behind the words. The figure then brought a hand up to their head, and plucked something from the side. It then moved to the limit of the shadows, before placing what it had in its hand on the kitchen counter top

"To use this, place it against your temple, there's a privacy setting on it, turn that off so you both can see," the figure said, "I've locked out everything except the recordings I took during the last week... I hope they help, more than they hurt."

Ren stared at the strange triangular device, before looking back up at the figure, "Tell me truthfully, are our daughters alive?"

"Yes," the figure answered instantly, "And if I have my way, you'll see them both again, I promise."

Ren and Cecilia stared at her, stunned, "You... you mean..." Cecilia stammered, her form trembling

The figure nodded once more, "I'm going after them, I'm going to find them, and I'm going to bring them home, along with as many of their peers as I can."

Cecilia crumpled to the floor, sobbing in relief, Ren dropped to her side, before looking up at the figure. "Who are you?" he asked

Now the figure stepped into the light, and Ren saw her features, the hair was different, and she of course didn't have the wings, but Ren recognised the face of the person Piper was talking to, right before the Fledging began

"Like I said, I'm a friend," she then nodded to the device she'd given them, "If you want to know more, I suggest looking at what the Focus has to show you."

Ren glanced to the device, then at the strange wingless person in front of them, then he stood, and took the device. He attached it to his temple, and a holographic interface suddenly sprang before his eyes

He immediately saw the privacy option and turned it off, just before he found the recordings the figure spoke of. He hit play, and felt his legs tremble as Piper appeared before him

" _Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there!"_

" _No, it's my fault, wasn't watching where I was going,"_

" _Guess we were both being a bit clumsy,"_

" _Guess so... my name's Lark by the way,"_

Ren glanced from the holo-recording to where the figure had been standing, but she was no longer there, instead, it was just him and Cecilia, gazing at their daughter, through the eyes of another

As the recording continued, Ren wrapped his arms around Cecilia, "She'll find her, she'll bring her back, we just need to have hope."

Cecilia nodded tearfully, unable to tear her eyes away from the hologram of her daughter

Ren glanced back to the balcony, _please Great Spirits, please help Lark to bring our daughters back safe_

* * *

Lark looked down from the shuttle as it hung above the neighbourhood. She wasn't worried about being spotted, it was night, so visibility was limited, and with word of the Fledging spreading, very few Telani were actually looking up

Additionally, she didn't really give a crap anymore

Her eyes now scanned over the city, before being drawn skywards

A constellation hung over the city, that Lark knew from her studies of the Telani, was their version of Orion, the Hunter

As the mournful cries of dozens of parents filled the night air, Lark was put in mind of the story of Exodus, the night an Angel of Death passed through the land of Egypt, and smote all the first born

 _Angel... more like devil in this case... well... never again... and if Repton really is a demon, then I'm one of the Angels who'll stop him... but first, I need some back up_

With that thought, she turned back to her shuttle's controls, shutting the door behind her. A minute later, the shuttle began to ascend back into orbit

Once she'd cleared the planet's gravity well, she began plotting her course, calculating the jump to make use of the gravity wells, rather than fight them

On one side of her view screen, she could make out the tiny pinpricks of light that were the Hegemony slave ships, leaving the system

 _I'm running behind already... but don't worry Piper, I' am coming... I promise_

With that, she punched her hyperdrive, her small shuttle rocketing away towards her destination

* * *

 _The Jagged Claw, Eggellen Prime System, July 4_ _th_ _, 8:00pm_

Piper stared up at the bars of her cage, around her she could hear the sobs of her fellow Telani, and from the high slit windows of the room they were in, she could tell they were moving. It wasn't very perceptible, but if you looked carefully, you could see the stars moving across the small view of space

 _Space, we're in_ _ **space**_

Had the circumstances been different, this thought would have elated Piper; this was something she'd always dreamed of doing. The current situation however, was _not_ how she had wanted to get here

Beyond asking her about what Lark had said to her, Aerrow, Finn and Dove had hardly said a word since they'd arrived on this ship. All of them were processing their current situation in their own way, they were also very sceptical that Lark was coming for them

Dove had even stated that she doubted Lark could even do _anything_ , but Piper believed

 _She promised, she promised to come for us, to rescue us, get us home_

As happy as this thought made Piper, she also had to consider the reality of the situation

She was on a ship, currently in the process of leaving the system in which her home planet resided, and on her way to an unknown destination

 _How is she even going to_ _ **find**_ _us?_

Piper then remembered Lark's words to her

" _Whatever you do Piper,_ _ **don't**_ _lose that Focus, do whatever you need to do to keep it... no matter what happens Piper, so long as you keep that Focus safe, I_ _ **will**_ _come for you, do you hear me, I'm_ _ **not**_ _abandoning you, I_ _ **will**_ _find you, I_ _ **will**_ _save you, as many of you as I can, I swear it Piper."_

Piper glanced around, checking to make sure no one was watching, then slipped the Focus from her pocket, staring at it

 _How is this little thing supposed to help her find us?_

As Piper turned the thought over in her head, she remembered Lark saying how the Focus was also a library, or something like that

Piper brought the Focus up to her temple; once again, the blue holographic interface appeared before her. Before she did anything else, she removed her head band, letting her raven locks collapse around her head, hiding the Focus from view

Then she refocused her attention on the interface

 _Alright then, let's see what we can find out... I'm not just going to sit and wait to be rescued... I'm not a damsel in distress... I'm going to learn as much as I can... then when Lark finds us; I'll be ready to help_

* * *

 _Omega System, Omega Station, July 6_ _th_ _, 11:00am_

The trip to Omega had been uneventful to say the least; the station itself however, was something else

The entire thing was built into a half-hollowed out asteroid the size of Luna, with the station itself jutting out from beneath the asteroid. The whole thing resembled a giant red jellyfish

The station was situated in neutral space, beyond civilized borders, making it a haven for criminals, smugglers, pirates and mercenaries

It wasn't the only place like this in neutral space, just one of the largest. On Omega, the mercenaries ruled the roost, though most were involved in one form of criminal activity or another, so it didn't make much difference

The unique thing about Omega, was it had a singular leader, Aria T'Loak

She had her own elite mercenary band, and had the influence and power to keep the most powerful players on Omega under her boot heel. Nothing on Omega went on without Aria knowing about it, and there was only one rule on the station

' _Don't F***, with Aria'_

Unlike other stations in neutral space, Aria kept a modicum of order and civility. Rather than let things like violence or disease run rampant throughout the station – as was the case with most – Aria actually dealt with it

If the fighting on the station got too out of hand or widespread, Aria would have her mercenaries step in to put the disparate groups down. If a disease broke out, she'd have the section quarantined to prevent the spread and starve the disease out

It wasn't perfect, many people in civilized space often referred to it as a hell hole. A filth ridden station filled with the galaxies criminals and degenerates, but the thing everyone could admit, it was at least the _cleanest_ and most _orderly_ of all the hell holes out there

* * *

Lark knew all this after getting off her shuttle, which is why she was prepared for the shakedown upon her arrival

As she disembarked, duffel bag over one shoulder, she was approached by a trio of Batarians, four eyed humanoids with green mottled skin and bald heads

She saw no marks on their armour, marking them as just common crooks, not associated with any group

"That's a nice ship you got there," the leader said, "The docking tax for it will be expensive."

Lark snorted, "Yea, go pull the other one four eyes, you're not getting any credits out of me."

The leader's four eyes narrowed, "Maybe I wasn't clear, but either you pay up," he gestured to his men as he spoke, "Or bad things happen."

The other two Batarians moved to flank Lark, hands hovering over pistols

Lark merely stared them down, "Walk on; this is your only warning."

"And I gave you yours," the leader replied, before nodding to his men

The Batarians hands snapped to their guns, but Lark was quicker, blasting out a small wave of biotic energy, knocking all three of the Batarians off their feet

The leader growled in annoyance, quickly getting to his feet

Before he or Lark could do anything, a new voice entered

"What's going on here?"

They turned to see a fourth Batarian enter the corridor, Lark initially tensed at his arrival, but then relaxed when she saw Aria's insignia on his armour's lapel

Lark straightened up, relaxing her posture, "I warned them, they wouldn't back off," she said simply

The newcomer turned to the leader of the first group, as two Turians in full combat gear walked in behind him, also bearing Aria's insignia

"Callox, why am I not surprised," the newcomer said, "Clear off... unless you want to get tossed out the airlock."

Callox grumbled, but didn't argue, as he and his men left

The newcomer then turned to Lark, "Sorry about that, you get scum like him trying to extort newcomers to the station all the time."

"No harm done, besides their pride," Lark replied

The newcomer chuckled, "I suppose not, the name's Bray, and I'm afraid I will have to take a docking tax from you."

Lark sighed, and pulled out her credit chit, at least Aria's rates were reasonable, and decided on the ship class, not the tech on it

"It's not staying long, I imagine a UNE ship will be here within the next few days to claim it," she said

Bray nodded, "I'll charge you for one week then, to be on the safe side."

"Sounds fair," Lark agreed

Bray took her credit chit, scanned it, before handing it back, "All done, welcome to Omega."

Lark nodded as she took back the credit chit, "Appreciated."

"Just out of curiosity, are you by any chance Lark Cyclonis?"

Now Lark raised an eyebrow at him, "Who wants to know?"

"Aria, she wants a word, seeing as how a top line freelance mercenary just rented out the best VIP room in Afterlife for the rest of the day, and is now waiting on someone called Lark Cyclonis. Aria takes notice of things like that," Bray stated

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint Aria, but I'm very busy and don't have time to chat," Lark stated

Bray shook his head, "This wasn't a request, trust me, you'll want to play ball on this one."

Lark glanced to the Turians behind Bray, unable to see their faces due to the full face plate helmets, their guns still held at the ready

Lark sighed resignedly, "Fine, if Aria insists."

"She does."

Lark nodded, "Lead the way then."

Bray's men stepped to one side as Bray led the way out of the airlock corridor and into the station proper. Lark had only heard about Omega, so as they stepped out into the main thoroughfare through the station, she felt her breath get taken away

Dirty, haphazard and chaotic Omega may have been, but it was none the less impressive

Tall spires dominated the Omega skyline, and gigantic neon signs lit up the dingy station like a firecracker

The less said about the smell though, the better

Lark instantly felt like she was going to retch, but managed to hold it in. Beside her, Bray chuckled, "Yea, Omega has that effect on most first timers, wide eyes, clamped nose and mouth."

"How do you stand the stench," Lark groaned

Bray just shrugged, "You get used to it, and in some areas it's not so bad."

Bray led the way to a waiting skycar, he opened the door for Lark who climbed in, before following round the other side, and settling into the driver's seat. He then turned to his men, "Your dismissed, go back to your regular duties."

"Sir," one of the Turians replied, nodding

With that, Bray closed the doors, and took off, piloting the skycar seamlessly into the flow of traffic passing through Omega's skyline

They made their way to Omega's centre, dead centre, the beating heart of the station. This area was as affluent as the station got, and though the differences were subtle, Lark could still see the change

The area surrounding Afterlife was more closely watched by Aria's men, there were more shops and other regular establishments, like banks, restaurants etc.

This was _literally_ the heart of the station, and at its centre, the source of the beat, again, _literally_

The Afterlife club was huge, a dominating pyramid spire at the very centre of the station, a massive holo-board on the front, displaying an Asari dancer, with two gouts of flame on either side, and a massive neon sign over the door, declaring the name of the establishment

Meanwhile the faint beat of loud club music, bled out from the station, giving the illusion of a thumping heart

Bray brought the skycar in to land in front of the main entrance

As Lark climbed out, she saw a long line of people waiting to get in past an Elcor bouncer, and two armed Batarian guards standing either side of the door

Bray and the Bouncer nodded to one another, while the line of people watched jealously as Lark and Bray passed. Lark also faintly heard the complaints of the guy at the front of the line

"Come on, let me in, Aria's expecting me."

" _Annoyed_ , if Aria was expecting you, you'd already be inside."

The guards nodded to Bray as they reached the door, which opened automatically for them. They then proceeded down a long corridor with seating on either side. The corridor had more holo-boards on either side, depicting flames this time

At the end was another door, leading into the club proper, with another _'Afterlife'_ neon sign over it

The music was louder in here, but still muffled

Then they reached the door, which again, opened automatically, and Lark was assaulted with the visual and auditory bombshell that was Omega's premier night club

Directly in front of her was a massive cylindrical holo-board, with yet another Asari dancer displayed on it. Running around this board, was a raised stage, where actual Asari dancers performed, dressed in skin tight black body suits, which left little to the imagination

Lark couldn't stop a small blush entering her cheeks at the vulgar display, but pushed the feelings down. _Professional, calm, collected, remember, the first sign of weakness here and you'll get eaten alive_

As Bray led her through the club, she noticed a bar off to the right, and what looked like a private room to the left. Raised around the circumference of the room was a raised area where yet more holo-boards were displayed along the walls and booths, which were filled with patrons

At the back, where Bray was leading her was a private lounge, with a guard at each way up, while beneath it was a set of stairs leading to the lower sections of the club

Bray led her past one of the guards, whom he again exchanged a nod with, and up into the private lounge. Waiting, was the woman herself, the most powerful person on Omega, Aria T'Loak

She had her back to them, but turned as they entered, a scowl adorning her features. She wore a black, form fitting body armour that really only covered and protected the essentials, Lark could see flashes of blue skin here and there. Over the top of this she wore a white half jacket with a high collar and the symbol of Omega on the back of it

She had traditional Asari markings adorning her face; they started just behind her eyes at the top of her cheekbones, with three lines coming off from the start point. One line extended down, over her cheek, stopping at her jaw line. The second went back across her scalp-crests, while the third extended up over her eyes, ending just between them and her nose; these were then connected by two thin lines arching between them across her forehead

She continued to scowl as Bray brought Lark front and centre, before moving off to the side, and out of the line of fire

"So, you're the one Shepard's been waiting for?" Aria said, looking Lark up and down, "Why exactly would Shepard be meeting with a child?"

Lark took a breath, she was about to tread on some toes here, "I'm afraid that's between me and her."

Aria raised an eyebrow as she sat on her couch, "Honey," Aria said, in a fake sweet tone, "Everything that happens on this station is _my_ business... especially when it involves Shepard... that woman has a habit of stirring up trouble."

"I'm not here to cause trouble," Lark replied

Aria waved a hand dismissively, "Intention matters not, Shepard is a magnet for trouble, it follows her everywhere." Aria now glared pointedly at Lark, "So when she shows up on _my_ station, I have a right to know _why_ she's here."

Lark felt increasingly aware that Aria had guards all around the room, all ready to act should she give the command, Lark steeled herself. "I'm sorry to have caused you trouble, but mine and Shepard's business has nothing to do with Omega, we're simply meeting here, Shepard's idea, not mine."

Aria stared her down, but Lark stood unwavering, finally Aria sighed, frustrated, and muttered something Lark was unable to catch. Then she stood, walking towards Lark, until she was directly in front of her, their bodies nearly touching

"Fine then, keep your secrets, but make sure Shepard understands I'm watching her, and you, my club isn't her private scheme house... do I make myself _perfectly_ clear?"

Lark nodded, doing her best to suppress her trembling, "As crystal."

Aria nodded, then turned away, "She's waiting for you in the private room down on the main floor. Best hurry; she's not a woman who likes to be kept waiting."

Lark didn't stop to argue, quickly making her way out of the private lounge, merely happy she'd gotten away with her life. Though had it been her imagination, or had there been a note of mischievous in Aria's voice at the end there

* * *

As Lark made her way to the VIP room, Aria tapped her communicator, "She's on her way Shepard."

"Was it really necessary to scare the girl half to death?" came the reply

Aria gave a small smirk, knowing Shepard could see her, "Just making sure she knows the pecking order round here," she said, before disconnecting

* * *

Lark made her way to the private room she'd seen before. As she neared, she noticed a Turian and what looked like a human standing guard outside. At least she assumed the other figure was human, she couldn't really tell with the full face plate helmet

The two of them saw her approach, and straightened up, blocking her path

"Sorry little girl, this room's taken," the Turian said. He looked like a typical Turian, wearing full combat gear that had definitely seen a lot of action. He had typical Turian markings going across his face horizontally, crossing over the bridge of his nose, and extending down over the upper portions of his mandibles, their blue colour contrasting brightly with the natural armour plates of his head

This was broken on the right side of his face, where it looked as though he'd taken a rocket to it; the whole area was scarred and broken. Completing the look of tough and intimidating Turian, was a custom tactical visor, secured to the left side of his head. Lark knew the moment this Turian saw her, he had compiled a huge amount of data on her with but a glance

Lark also noted the colour of his armour, a bright blue with black highlights, making this Turian Ex-C-Sec

"Garrus Vakarian?" she asked, earning her a look from the Turian

"Who wants to know?"

Lark held out her hand, "I'm Lark Cyclonis, I'm here to meet Commander Shepard."

Garrus and his companion looked at one another, his companion then shrugged before they turned back to Lark

"Yea... see, here's the problem kid..." Garrus began, before a new voice cut him off

"It's her Garrus, stand down."

Lark turned to see a female Togruta approaching. She had white montrals and Lekku with blue stripes and orange skin, with the traditional white facial markings. Her eyes were a deep blue and she wore what looked like old N7 combat armour

The armour didn't surprise Lark, if this was who she thought it was, then it made sense, Shepard's profile had said she was an Ex-UNE Navy officer. It was the fact that she was a Togruta that surprised her, though in hindsight, it really shouldn't have

The UNE had encountered the Togruta very early in their expansion into space. At the time of contact, the Togruta had the technology to begin expanding into space themselves, but lacked the unity

They were a prideful, warrior race, which reminded humanity of itself, and what could have occurred on Earth had things happened differently. When the UNE arrived at their homeworld of Shili, the different Togruta clans were engaged in a particularly savage war that had been raging for almost a decade

The UNE stepped in, using non-lethal measures to stop the fighting, and then appealed to the leaders of the clans and show them a better way. After hearing the UNE out, and seeing the devastation their race was heading towards, the clan leaders decided it was time for something to change

Their people however had not been very supportive, war was in their blood, they breathed it in every breath. They argued that without the warrior path, their people would wither and die

So a solution was provided, the Togruta would join the UNE as equal members with humanity, and in exchange, all those wishing to pursue the warrior's path, would be given priority to join the UNE Navy

The Togruta had been sceptical at first, but it had worked, the training and discipline employed by the Navy was able to temper the warrior spirit of the Togruta people. Now their people owned a small enclave of worlds in UNE space, and their warriors often became some of the best soldiers and officers the UNE Navy had to offer

Lark was both impressed, and a little intimidated. If this was Shepard, then _what_ exactly, had caused the Navy to kick her out, her mind reeled at all the different possibilities

She was broken from her thoughts as Garrus spoke, "You sure Shepard?"

 _Well that clinched it_

Shepard nodded, "Yea I'm sure," she now looked to Lark, "Gotta say, wasn't expecting you to be so young, you're like what, 16?"

"Fifteen," Lark responded, "But my birthday is in a few months."

"Holy crap Shepard, you can't be serious, she's just a kid," Garrus' companion said, his speech pattern confirming his species as human, or close to it at least

"A client is a client Vega," Shepard replied, never taking her eyes off Lark

"I take it then you're Commander Shepard?" Lark asked

Shepard nodded, "Commander Ahsoka Tano Shepard at your service," she then nodded towards the private room, "Shall we?"

Lark nodded in response, and let Shepard lead the way, at the door, Shepard ushered Lark inside, before turning to Garrus and Vega. "Keep watch, I don't want any snoops listening in at the door."

Garrus and Vega merely nodded in response, before turning away to watch the rest of the club

Then Shepard followed Lark in

As the door closed behind them, Shepard spoke, but not to Lark, "Kasumi, how we looking?"

A woman suddenly materialized next to Lark as she deactivated her camo field that had been hiding her. Lark gave a stifled cry of alarm as she jumped away in shock, causing the new figure to smirk

"We're all good Shep, I swept and cleaned the place for bugs, no one is going to be listening in," she then glanced to Lark, "Sorry about that sweetheart, I couldn't resist."

Lark stood there panting, as Shepard rolled her eyes, "All right Kasumi, you had your fun, I'll see you back on the ship."

Kasumi gave a Cheshire smile, before waving and disappearing again, the door opened for a moment, then closed once more

Lark suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder as she forced her heart to start beating calmly. She looked up to see Shepard giving her an apologetic look, "Sorry about that, Kasumi is an irrefutable prankster."

Lark shook her head, finally calming her heartbeat, "It's okay, it's been a stressful day is all."

Shepard chuckled at that, "I can understand that," she replied, before moving to sit down, gesturing for Lark to do the same

Once they were seated, Shepard leaned forward, all business, "So, what's this job about, you mentioned something about slavers kidnapping kids?"

Lark nodded, then tapped her new Focus, displaying the planet Atmos, just a few inches off the table

"This is the planet Atmos, heard of it?" Shepard shook her head, "Not surprising, it's apparently a big secret that the Council doesn't want getting out for fear it will tear the member nations apart."

Now Shepard looked interested, "Go on."

Lark took a breath, and called up images of her grandmother and Professor Torrens, "60 years ago, the planet was discovered by my grandmother, Anarchis Cyclonis and her friend, Torrens. The initial excitement from their discovery was short lived however, after a Hegemony slaver fleet arrived to collect a tithe of slaves from the planet, something that happens every four years, and has been going on for three centuries."

As Lark spoke, she called up images of Repton and his father; she saw Shepard's eyes harden as she did

"Why did the Council not step in and stop them?" Shepard asked

"My grandmother tried to get them to, but Repton and his father produced evidence that _they_ owned the planet, so the Council's hands were tied... unless they wanted to start a war," Lark explained

Shepard now looked at Lark directly, "Let me guess, you've been stonewalled by the Council, same as your grandmother, and now you're looking for _alternate_ means of getting the Hegemony to give up the planet, right?"

Lark sighed and sat back, "Not exactly," she said, causing Shepard to raise an eyebrow

Lark then looked away, "Eleven days ago, I participated in something called the Fledging on Atmos – in disguise of course – I spent nearly a whole week with four young Telani, the natives of the planet..." Lark trailed off as memories returned

Shepard was easily able to fill in the blanks though, "Then the Gorvan show up, and abduct them."

Lark nodded, "I was so close to saving my friends, I literally had Repton up against a wall... then Professor Torrens arrived and told me the truth about what was going on, that the planet belonged to Repton, and if I went through with my plan I'd be starting a war."

Tears tracked down Lark's cheeks as she spoke, Shepard gritted her teeth and sat back, "That was a tough decision to make," she said, "But what makes you think hiring me and my crew will make any difference?"

Lark wiped her tears away before facing Shepard again, "You're mercenaries, you're not associated with the UNE, so the Hegemony _can't_ use us as an excuse to declare war, whether we're successful or not."

"We can't defend a planet against an entire Empire, Lark," Shepard stated, but Lark shook her head

"That's not the job," Shepard's brow again rose as she looked at Lark confused. Lark took a breath, steeling herself for what she was about to ask, "I want you to help me with a rescue mission, to take back all the Telani, Repton kidnapped, and get them home."

Shepard stared at her for a moment, then leaned forward, her face stony, "You want us, to go deep into the centre of the Gorvan Hegemony, and perform a high risk rescue mission for a bunch of primitives?"

Lark blinked, Shepard's reaction had been completely impassive, meaning she couldn't gage what she actually thought about the mission, but it was clear she thought it incredibly dangerous. Lark gave a slow nod before speaking, "I'm prepared to pay you double your normal rate, I know how dangerous this is, but I made a promise, and if you don't help me, I'll just go myself.

"Even though you'll most likely get yourself killed doing so?" Shepard retorted

"Yes, I don't care anymore, if I just abandon them..." Lark trailed off as the image of Piper's desperate pleading face, before she had been forced to abandon them played again in her mind. Then she looked back up at Shepard, her eyes hard, and a fire burning in them, "If I abandon them, then I spit on everything my grandmother worked and fought for."

Shepard's stony gaze was suddenly broken as she did a double take, blinking a few times, before she recovered. "Could you please go wait outside and send Garrus in," she finally said

It was Lark's turn to double take, but she didn't argue, standing and heading for the door

Garrus entered a few moments later

"What's up Shepard?"

"She wants us to help her with a rescue mission, right in the heart of the Gorvan Hegemony," Shepard replied

Garrus swore, then turned back to her, "Are you going to accept?"

"Haven't decided yet, get the crew on the line, Vega too, but tell him to switch his helmet's external speaker off," Shepard said

Garrus nodded, and in a few moments, Shepard's entire crew was gathered, either through communicators, or as holograms. A few minutes later, Shepard had briefed them all

Their reactions were mixed

"Their kidnapping kids!" Jack snapped, a look of pure fury on her face

"Repton is a particularly despicable individual, even among Gorvan's," Thane noted. Though his posture and vocals seemed impassive, subtle signs of tension in his body told Shepard his true feelings on the matter

"Goddess, I can't even begin to imagine what those children are going through right now, they must be terrified," Liara said

"Agreed, but there isn't much to be done, we're talking about the heartland of the Hegemony here," Dr. Chakwas stated. Next to her, their secondary pilot Stork nodded nervously

"We can't just let the Gorvan's get away with it though, especially if this has been happening for the last three centuries," Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau interjected

"I'm with Joker on this on eh," Suzy Lu called out

"Hell yea, those kids need our help," Vega agreed

"Statistically, there is a 0.000001 percent chance of success," Legion stated, "Even if we were able to rescue these _'Telani'_ and get them home, the Hegemony would simply come for them again, and possibly exact a terrible vengeance against the planet and its people."

"Never tell me the odds Legion, it just makes me all the more determined to break them," Kasumi retorted

"While I do not agree with Legion's statistical approach to this, I do agree that our actions would do little to dissuade the Hegemony from future raids on the planet, and our group alone cannot hope to defend it against an Empire." This from EDI who stood at Joker's side, across from Legion

Shepard now turned to their crew's two newest members, "Junko, Sam, your thoughts?"

Samantha Traynor and Junko both glanced at one another, before nodding and turning back to the others

"This would be a dangerous mission, but we've been on dangerous missions before," Samantha began

"Some of us more than others," Jack muttered, earning her a stern look from Shepard

"But that shouldn't stop us from doing what's right... those kids, they _need_ us... could we really call ourselves Cyclonians if we discarded Anarchis' highest ideal?" Samantha finished

That earned silence from everyone, and a contemplative one at that

Garrus finally broke it, "It's your call Shepard, you know that whatever you decide, we're behind you, 100%."

Shepard stood silently for a moment, then her Focus began trilling, she glanced at who was trying to contact her and frowned. "One moment people, I gotta take this," with that she switched her Focus to private, and accepted the call, moving to the back of the room and speaking quietly

There wasn't a real need for secrecy, they all knew who was likely contacting her, it was just protocol, and they accepted it

After about five minutes, Shepard ended the call and turned back to them

"Alright then," Shepard began, her face stern, "That settles it... Vega, bring Lark back in."

"You got it Commander."

A few moments later, the door opened, and Lark walked back in, Vega followed behind, locking the door behind them

Lark looked round at everyone, before turning to Shepard, no one spoke, but they could all see the nervousness in Lark's eyes

Shepard finally broke the silence, "If we do this kid, we do it _my_ way... you will be a temporary member of the crew, and will follow _my_ orders... understood?"

Lark's eyes widened as realisation dawned, she quickly nodded, not trusting her voice right now

"Good," Shepard replied, she then turned to EDI, "Start running pre-flight checks EDI, we leave immediately, destination, the Gorvan Hegemony."

Lark could barely contain her elation, she'd done it, Shepard had said _yes_. As the holograms of the rest of the crew winked out one by one, Shepard began marching out of the room, Garrus and Vega forming up either side of her

Lark hurried to keep up, "So... how much do I owe you?"

Garrus chuckled, "You've never worked with mercenaries before, have you kid?"

Lark shook her head, her cheeks suddenly burning

Garrus now gave the Turian equivalent of a smile, " _Never_ put money on the table until the job is done."

Lark mentally kicked herself for such a dumb move, then she blinked as she realised something, "But... Shepard and I didn't even agree on a price for _after_ the job is done?"

Vega and Garrus glanced to Shepard, who showed no outward reaction to Lark's statement, then they looked back at Lark. "I don't think Shepard is really interested about the money for this job," Garrus said

At Lark's confused look, Vega clarified, "Yea, for the Commander, this one is personal."

Lark looked between all three of them as they made their way out of Afterlife, before her eyes finally settled on the back of Shepard's head. She noticed the way her shoulders were set, firm and tense

Lark also spied a small scar on the back of her neck, almost completely hidden between her Lekku's and the collar of her black combat armour. She used her Focus to capture an image and run it through a database

Vega's words had given her a suspicion about the scar, but she wanted to be certain

A few minutes later, Lark felt her blood turn to ice

On her holo-display, was a completed version of the scar, it was Batarian slave ring brand

Lark looked again at the woman leading them through Omega, wondering what her story was

Her thoughts on the matter were broken though as they reached an airlock corridor, and Lark felt her breath get taken away at the sight before her. There, docked alongside the station was a sleek frigate, its elongated hull, smooth and curved. Two wings extended from it towards the rear of the ship, with each wing possessing two engines. The rear of the ship sported two dorsal tail fins

Most of the armour was a sedate white, with black and orange highlights, it looked magnificent

"Wow," Lark breathed, rushing up to the window, pressing her nose to the glass

"Yep," Shepard said proudly, "That's the Normandy."

"She's magnificent," Lark gushed

"You think she looks good on the outside, just wait till you see the firepower she's packing, calibrated by yours truly," Garrus said with a smile

"Yea, yea, we get it old man, you put a lot of love into her weapons," Vega replied, which soon got the two of them poking jabs at one another as they made for the airlock

Lark gave them a worried look, before glancing to Shepard, who chuckled, "Don't worry, this is normal for them, it's how they bond," she reassured, a small smile on her face. Then she began following after them, "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of the crew and give you a tour once we're under way."

Lark nodded, and after hitching her duffle bag a little higher, followed after her

 _Hang on Piper, I'm coming, just hang on a little longer._

* * *

 **To be continued Dear Readers**

 **Next chapter, we'll be officially meeting the crew of the Normandy, and Piper will be learning more about the galaxy, with a few surprises thrown in, until then, I' am Stormhawk fan SHhype, and I will see you all next time**

 **Don't forget to leave a review, and as always, constructive criticism is welcome**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely cause I want it to,** **Additionally, credit to cover image goes to Mythorie over on Deviant Art, your awesome mate**

 **GREETINGS ALL!**

 **I can't begin to tell you guys how giddy I' am right now, cause I'm starting something this chapter that I've wanted to start for a while, going over reviews at the beginning of each chapter. Sadly I only have one to work with right now, but I'll make it work, so...**

 **Rook: First things first, I would once again like to thank you for the review, as for Miranda, maybe later books, but not this one, cast is already done. Now the call, we'll learn more about that later, I mean, it's not like it was anyone important (whistles innocently)**

 **As for this chapter, I've got nothing else to say except EXPOSITION, many different members of the cast will be learning different things this chapter, and we'll also be introducing the crew of the Normandy as well, here's hoping my memory of their mannerisms was up to snuff, but heh, that's what reviews are for. If you guys think I mucked something up, or missed something out in terms of a how a character behaves, let me know, for, as always, constructive criticism is welcome**

 **and that I believe was everything so...**

 **Oh wait... items for Wiki searches. Mainly just the Normandy today, for those wanting a visual aid to the tour. As for other pertinent information, species like the Turians are from Dextro-Amino acid based Biospheres, meaning they can only eat food, based on this protein. While the majority of other species, including humans, are from Levo-Amino acid based Biospheres. Additionally, rather than use the standard Stellaris flag for the UNE, I've used the current flag for the UN and symbol adorning it (it will make sense later)**

 **Now that's done, let's continue...**

 **WARNING:** ** ** ** ** **THIS STORY CONTAINS THEMES OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND SLAVERY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR PREVIOUS PAGE**********

 ** ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all, Welcome back to... Stellaris, Book 1: The Fledging******

 _ ** ** **Blurb:******_

 **On the planet of Atmos, the Telani people prepare for their annual tradition known as the Fledging, a journey undertaken by Telani about to enter adulthood. On this journey we follow a group of young Telani – Piper, Aerrow, Finn and their older peer, Dove – excited to begin their Fledging. However, unbeknownst to them, they have an unexpected guest, a Human, called Lark Cyclonis, secretly visiting their planet, studying their people and culture**

 **Together they depart on the Fledging, all the while unaware of the shadow that looms over Atmos, and is due to strike again. When it does, the youngsters are flung into a Galaxy of danger, meeting new people, both friends, and enemies, and reuniting with long lost loved ones. The young Telani of Atmos are about to find out, that their world is so much bigger than they could have possibly imagined**

* * *

Chapter 6: Crew of the Normandy

 _City of Atmosia, Skyknight Command, July 6_ _th_ _, 12:00pm_

Lightning walked into the interrogation room, flanked by Ren Peregrine, and Wren Gale. In front of them was Harrier Rex, sitting at the table, hands cuffed, a despondent, _haunted_ , expression across his face, he hadn't even noticed the three of them enter. Lightning walked up to the table, and slapped the report from the rapid response team onto it, jolting Harrier to his senses, and looking up at him, as Lightning sat. Everyone was silent as Lightning began flicking through the pages of the report, finally, he settled on the section he wanted, then sat back and regarded Harrier sternly

"So, Lieutenant... do you want to tell me what happened?" Lightning asked. Truthfully he'd wanted to do this interrogation earlier, but the realities of the situation had prevented him, the last four days had been pure bedlam

Harrier's gaze dropped back to the table, "I don't know," he said

Lightning's hand clenched, "What do you mean you don't know?" he said, his voice outwardly calm, but bearing an edge

"I don't remember anything," Harrier replied quietly

Harrier jolted, as Lightning's hand _slammed_ onto the table, "Don't give me that!" he yelled, "That's the same line every survivor of a Fledging has ever given." Lightning's roar filled the room, causing Harrier to shrink into his chair, "But this time is different, I _know_ you saw something, I know that _you_ _know_ something, you were telling me _yourself_ before we got cut off, so don't you _dare_ use that excuse!"

"Lightning," Ren said quietly, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder, Lightning took a deep breath, before relaxing back into his chair. Ren could hardly blame Lightning for his outburst; he'd been exactly the same four years ago. Ren now turned to Harrier, "We're just trying to get a sense for what happened," he stated calmly, "Is there anything at all that you remember?"

Harrier simply shook his head

"What about Kite?" Old Wren – Dove's Grandfather – asked, "Why did you attack her?"

Harrier now let out a choked sob, "I don't know," the three grown Telani watched as tears ran down the young Lieutenant's cheeks. "One second I was getting up, recovering from... something," Harrier said, "The next, I saw her there, and it was like... someone else was controlling my body... all I could do was watch as I picked up that stone... flew up above her... then dived down... and s-struck her..." The tears were now fully fledged, as Harrier curled up into himself

Lightning and the others sighed, they'd get nothing from him, it was clear that just like the others – like every year this happened – he remembered nothing. Lightning picked up the file, and turned to leave. "Wait..." Lightning and the others turned back towards Harrier, the young Telani, once one of the pride and joys of the Skyknights, was now a quivering wreck, and it was likely he would never recover. His next words however, gave them some hope, "Is Kite okay... is she... still alive?"

The three Telani all glanced at one another, before Lightning turned back to Harrier, "The doctors say she'll live, but their unsure of the damage caused... whether she remembers anything or not, is yet to be determined." With that, he turned and left, Ren and Old Wren following behind, leaving Harrier to his thoughts

Unbeknownst to them, Lightning's words had caused a hidden command to activate in Harrier's mind, the same command that had urged him to strike Kite with the rock in the first place. It was a good thing they left him cuffed, and the door locked

* * *

 _Freelance Mercenary Vessel Normandy, July 6_ _th_ _, 12:10pm_

Lark's eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she took in the state of the art ship that was the Normandy, for the life of her, she couldn't understand how mercenaries had come to own a ship of this technological level. The tech she was seeing here was military grade, something that was either _incredibly_ expensive at best, at worst incredibly _illegal_ for anyone outside the military to own

"How on _Earth_ did you get this goddess of a ship!?" Lark exclaimed

"Hmm, goddess, you know, I think I like that Shepard," said a synthesized voice from the ship's intercom, to which Shepard just rolled her eyes

"Oh great," came a sarcastic voice from just to their left as they stepped from the air lock, "You know she's never going to shut up about that now, right?"

Lark peered in the direction of the voice, spotting the bridge. A large console bank took up most of the front portion, in front of which was a tall backed seat, which now turned to face Lark and Shepard. In it sat a Caucasian man in his thirties, with dark hair and a beard-mustache combo. He wore a black peaked cap with gold trim and 'SR2' written in large script across the front, and was dressed in an old UNE naval uniform. "Lark Cyclonis, meet Jeff Moreau, the Normandy's primary pilot," Shepard said

Lark gave a little wave, which Jeff returned, before he looked up, "Ah crap, Vega was right, that's twenty credits I owe you EDI."

Lark was confused, until the synthesized voice returned, "I did inform you Jeff, that I do not have need of credits," EDI said, as Jeff's chair turned back around

"Okay, well is there anything you want me to get you, maybe a nice little bobble head to spruce up the bridge?" Jeff asked, which launched the two of them into an argument about personalizing work space

Shepard chuckled at Lark's continued confusion, "The way I heard it, Jeff didn't think you'd be any younger than 19, EDI disagreed because of your voice patterns, she stated your age was 16, give or take a year, eventually, it turned into an unofficial bet."

Comprehension dawned, but then Lark frowned, "Where is EDI?"

The moment the words left her mouth, EDI responded, as a holographic blue orb, with a cylindrical flaring support, coming from underneath the orb, and a ring, orbiting the thinnest section of the support, appeared. As EDI spoke, blue lines extended horizontally across the orb, with their centre originating in the direction facing Lark. "Right here, Lieutenant Cyclonis, I' am the ship's artificial intelligence, the crew like to refer to me as EDI."

Lark had to do a double take, while she had already known about EDI's existence from the profile she had read; she had assumed it was something more basic. In essence, she had initially thought EDI to be nothing more than a complex operating system that handled long distance communications and defensive countermeasures. To learn it was a fully realized AI was astounding

 _Just how many resources does this group have...? I thought they were freelancers_

"You are surprised," EDI stated

"Well yea," Lark replied, "I mean it's not every day you meet a _true_ AI."

"EDI was created when the ship was built, and I, _acquired_ her during a mission for the UNE, back when I still worked for them," Shepard explained. The way she said 'acquired' spoke worlds about the ship's origins, and things were starting to fall into place for Lark

"You _stole_ the ship?"

Jeff scoffed, "Oh please, at the time we were working for the UNE, and the blueprints to this ship, rightfully belonged to them, so it wasn't so much steal, as _reacquire_."

"Jeff is indeed correct, and I' am most grateful that Shepard and her crew did relieve me from my original creators hands... they were not the most charitable of people," EDI agreed

Lark glanced at Shepard, who just shrugged, "Long story short, this ship became mine after we liberated her and returned her to UNE hands. After I was kicked out though, me and my crew decided to... _borrow_ her for a bit."

"Helped that EDI was more loyal to the Commander than those pricks on the admiralty board, she hacked the port docking clamps and away we went," Jeff said

Now Lark frowned, "Isn't the UNE still out to get you then, I mean, wouldn't they want this ship back?"

"That's an understatement, why do you think we stay in neutral space," Jeff replied

Shepard nodded, "We're wanted in most major Council systems, and every UNE system has our names and faces. People out here don't care though, their _all_ criminals, oh the UNE will get one of them reporting our whereabouts every now and then, but it's hardly a solid base from which to go chasing us across neutral space."

"Add to that, the Normandy is just _one_ ship, a highly advanced ship, but still only one, and when we liberated her, we got the blueprints as well, and the UNE still has those. So if they wanted to, they could just make more of her... just not ships with EDI of course, she's something special," Joker finished

"Jeff, please, you're going to make me blush," EDI said amused

Lark was utterly dumbfounded. Here she was, on board a state-of-the-art ship, with its own AI, stolen first from the UNE, then stolen _back_ by what appeared to be one of their best officers, and then stolen _from_ them again, by the very same officer. "I think I need a drink... or two," Lark stated

Shepard chuckled at that, before gesturing down the corridor to the CIC, "Why don't we find you a bunk and get you acquainted with the rest of the ship, you've already had a long day, I imagine you'll need a rest."

Lark nodded, as they walked off, suddenly, she turned back to the bridge, "It was nice meeting you, Jeff, EDI."

"Likewise, Lieutenant Cyclonis," EDI replied, while Jeff just waved from his chair

It was Lark's turn to chuckle, "Lark is fine, EDI," she said

EDI seemed to contemplate this for a moment, "Very well then, Lark, I look forward to speaking with you again."

Lark nodded, and then turned to follow Shepard

The Combat Information Centre, or CIC, was a large, teardrop shaped room, ringed with computer terminals where various miscellaneous crew members worked. Lark noticed that they all seemed to be ex-UNE personnel like Shepard, possibly the original crew who'd served with her when the Normandy was a UNE ship. In the centre of the room was a large arrowhead like frame, raised above the floor. Holo-projectors ringed the inside of the frame, creating a 3D representation of the Normandy and all its systems. Lark noticed that on top of the specs she'd seen in the profile, the ship also possessed Cyclonic Barrier Technology, or CBT, along with other upgrades like the Asari-designed Silaris heavy ship armour, Heed Industries Helios Thruster Module, and an advanced scanner system.

Lark stopped at the projection, just staring at the ship for a moment, in particular, the CBT, the name, was not a coincidence. "Did you know my grandmother?" Lark asked, knowing Shepard was standing next to her

"I did, we met a long time ago, back when I wasn't much older than you, just a fresh faced Lieutenant," Shepard answered, "We met again after I brought the Normandy back to the UNE, she helped with the retrofits, and installed her prototype CBT shielding while she was at it."

Lark quickly blinked away a tear as memories of her grandmother surfaced; she couldn't get distracted right now. They continued to move towards the back of the room, as they passed behind the holo-projection of the Normandy, it winked out, to be replaced with another, in the space behind it, separated from the fist, by a crosspiece of the framework. The second holo-projection, was a galactic map, about the size of a small table, and angled in such a way, that when you were standing at the small podium at the back of the framework, you'd be looking straight down, giving a bird's eye view of the galaxy. Standing next to the galaxy map, was a young woman in her late twenties/earlier thirties, with dark skin, raven black hair, and hazel eyes

She noticed their approach, "Ah, Commander, we've got a message from Aria T-Loak," the woman began

"Let me guess, a bill," Shepard deadpanned

"Erm, yes Commander, quite an extensive one at that," the woman replied

Shepard waved a hand, "Pass it along to EDI, she'll sort it, and don't worry about the extent Traynor, Aria always overcharges me."

"Right, good to know," the woman said, before her eyes drifted to Lark

"Ah right, introductions, Lark this is Specialist Samantha Traynor, she handles communications, code breaking and general logistics for the Normandy," Shepard said

"I also play a mean game of chess," Samantha replied, with a playful smirk at Shepard, who just rolled her eyes

Lark smiled back and held out her hand, "Lark Cyclonis, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Samantha replied, shaking the offered hand. Then she paused, "Wait... Cyclonis, that's your last name?"

"Yea... what about it?" Lark asked, frowning slightly, her focus so fixed on Traynor, she missed the pointed stare Shepard gave the woman

"Oh, it's nothing, just, I was wondering if you were any relation to Anarchis Cyclonis, I'm just a huge fan of her work is all," Traynor replied quickly. Behind Lark, Shepard sighed, the explanation would have to do

Lark blinked, before looking down, "Yea, she's my grandmother; she passed away a few years ago."

Traynor's own face became sorrowful, "She was a great woman, the galaxy is dimmer for her loss... I'm sure you'll make her proud though, you seem like quite the driven young woman yourself, if what I've heard is anything to go by."

Lark looked back up in surprise; she was used to people constantly comparing her to her grandmother, and expecting her to do great things, perhaps even surpass her grandmother's achievements. Never before though, had any of them simply suggested making her grandmother proud, it created a warm feeling within Lark, and hardened her resolve for the path she was on. Lark nodded in thanks, before she and Shepard made their way to the elevator, just behind the galaxy map, at the very back of the CIC

"A lot of the crew knew your grandmother personally, and we all respected her and her work," Shepard explained as they boarded the elevator. "You might hear the crew refer to themselves as 'Cyclonians', it was the name we created for those devoted to Anarchis' highest ideals; justice, protecting the weak, and showing mercy, even to our enemies."

Lark glanced at Shepard, seeing a faraway look in her eyes, she sighed and leant against the elevator wall, "Seems no matter where I go, I can't escape my grandmother's shadow."

Shepard now gave her a small smile, "The trick isn't to escape," she said. At Lark's confused look, Shepard's smile grew, "The trick is to shine so bright, the shadow is dispelled... but don't think for a moment that means you need to become your grandmother. You can shine in any number of ways; you just have to find one that suits you."

Lark realized she'd never thought of it like that, as the thought took shape in her mind, another rang through, _would she be proud of what I'm doing now?_

The elevator door suddenly opened, and Sheppard stepped out, Lark following. They were in a corridor that stretched off on either side. In addition, there were two other corridors that curved around the elevator, and led into an open space behind it. Shepard pointed down towards the right, "Down there is the starboard observation deck – there's a library in there, as well as a bar – you'll also find the women's restroom and Life Support." Shepard then turned to the left, "In this direction is the port side observation deck, as well as the men's restroom, and crew quarters, that's where you'll be staying."

Lark nodded, as they both turned and made their way past the elevator into the open space Lark had seen before. There was a large table, around which several crew members were sat, each of them waved a greeting to Shepard and Lark, which they returned. Over on the starboard side of the room was a kitchen that the two now approached, "This here is the mess, the kitchen is kept well stocked and labelled, courtesy of the combined efforts of our own James Vega and Samantha. If your ever hungry just help yourself to whatever you want, just keep in mind, red labels are for Dextro-Amino acid foods, green is for Levo." Lark nodded, and then looked down the gangway that led off from the back of the mess; there were several pods on either side, which Lark recognised as cryogenic stasis pods, and a door at the far end. "That's the Main Battery room, where the Thanix cannon is housed, it's also where Garrus chooses to bunk," Shepard said following her gaze

"Good afternoon Commander," came a new voice, the two of them turned to see a woman who appeared in her mid to late forties. She had a kind, if weathered face, grey blue eyes, and greying hair

"Ah, good timing, Lark, I'd like you to meet Doctor Karin Chakwas," Shepard said

Lark smiled and shook the Doctor's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Dr. Chakwas chuckled, "My dear, the pleasure is all mine, it's an honour to meet the granddaughter of the woman who taught me most of what I know today."

Lark did a double take, "You studied under my grandmother?"

Dr. Chakwas nodded, "I did, I can't claim to be her best student, but I studied in many different fields before specialising into medicine," she explained, "As it is, I wouldn't be where I' am today without her guidance."

Lark frowned at that, "Where you are today?"

Dr. Chakwas didn't miss a beat, "Don't get me wrong my dear, mercenary life isn't exactly what I pictured, but I was a military doctor long before that. Then I was assigned to the Normandy, and the crew here became like family to me, I could never abandon them, and I have no regrets."

Lark supposed she could understand that, her thoughts were then broken as Dr. Chakwas went on, "Before I leave, I'd like to remind you to pay me a visit later, all new crew members need to undergo a medical exam and physical."

Lark nodded, suddenly all business, "Understood."

Dr. Chakwas nodded, smiling, before turning back to Shepard, "I'll leave you to it then Commander."

Shepard nodded, smiling herself as Dr. Chakwas, made her way over to a windowed room on the port side. "That's the Med Bay, through it you'll also find EDI's AI core, that's also where our resident Geth, Legion, stays most of the time," Shepard said, before turning to the other side of the room. "On the opposite side, you'll find Liara's room, word of warning, don't go in there unless you want a biotic slap to the face," Shepard stated, before moving off, back towards the elevator

Lark hurried to catch up with her, "Why's that?"

Shepard smirked, "Liara is an information broker, she handles some pretty sensitive stuff, most of it dangerous, she doesn't like people snooping at her work without permission."

Lark glanced back at the closed door, a curious look coming over her, before she hurried to keep up with Shepard as they reached the elevator once more. Before they could descend though, Jeff's voice came through on the intercom, "Commander, we're detaching from Omega now, could use a destination."

"I'll be right up Joker," Shepard replied, shaking her head, causing her Lekku to swish slightly. She then turned to Lark, "We'll continue this once we're under way, you know where the bunks are now, get some rest, you look like you need it."

Lark nodded, feeling her fatigue catching up to her, she'd done most of the journey to Omega on autopilot, but some bits, particularly the last, she'd had to navigate manually. So despite it being the middle of the day Galactic standard time, she'd actually been awake for almost 17 hours, with little sleep before hand. Still, that was why shuttles were usually used for only short distance flights. As Shepard boarded the elevator once more, Lark turned back towards the crew quarters. She entered a room, filled mainly with bunk beds, a typical military setting. Lark found an empty bunk, dumped her duffle into the drawer, then collapsed onto the bed, and was asleep in minutes

* * *

 _The Jagged Claw, July 6_ _th_ _, 1:00pm_

Piper glanced carefully around the large room, she and the other captive Telani had just been fed and provided with water. Now once more, there were alone, most of her fellow captives had gone to sleep, as it was about the only thing to do. Piper on the other hand, had other ideas

"Access data archive," she whispered, and beneath her raven locks, the Focus activated, calling up her own personal information display, that only she could see. She'd spent the last couple days, learning how to work the device on her right temple, and now that they were no longer being watched, she intended to make use of the information on it

She scrolled through the various files before her, examining each, "Search function, Atmos." At her command, the Focus pulled up all files relating to her home planet. She opened the one labelled _'general information'_

A 3D holographic display of her planet was called up before her, and a voice that only she could hear, began speaking. "Atmos, home planet of the Telani people, discovered 60 years ago by Exploratory Science team Gamma, team lead, Anarchis Cyclonis, team second, Charles Torrens. The planet is a typical life bearing world, classified as a continental world, the surface is characterized by many mountainous regions, broken by large swathes of forest and the planet's three primary oceans. It possesses a rich nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere, and a carbon based biosphere, similar to that of Earth's. The Telani people themselves are a unique species native to the planet, humanoid in body structure; they possess a pair of feathered wings sprouting from their backs, the colours of which vary, depending on the hair colour of the individual. Warning, the planet is owned by Lord Archon Corvax of the Gorvan hegemony, Patriarch of the Corvax family, as such, the planet is considered Hegemony territory."

Piper watched as various images played on the holographic display, in time with the words being said. She also picked up on the mistake at the end of the file, "Well that's wrong, Repton is the owner of the planet, this Archon guy must be his father." She examined a few more files on Atmos, noting down where things had changed in the last 60 years to get a sense for the inaccuracies, before speaking again, "Search function, Corvax family."

Once again, multiple files appeared relating to the words, but there was only one that Piper was interested in, and opened. "Corvax is an old noble family, originating from the Gorvan homeworld of Bogaton. They have been firm supporters of the Gorvan slave trade, and possess one of the largest slave fleets in the Hegemony. Currently, the family is lead by Archon Corvax, and his son, Repton Corvax, both have ties to the Imperial family, and Repton is currently engaged to Princess Lansra Tyran, daughter to the current Emperor, Mikos Tyran, and sister to the Crown Prince, Telvos Tyran."

"That explains the whole 'second in line for the throne' thing," Piper muttered bitterly. It was bad enough that they get kidnapped by slavers, but it had to be someone in such a _high_ position of power as well

The Focus then continued, "Currently, the Corvax family are at an impasse with the United Nations of Earth, over the planet Atmos and the fate of the Telani people. This has caused rising tensions between the Hegemony and the UNE."

 _UNE, and Earth again... they must be important_

"Search function, UNE, Earth," Piper said, and almost instantly regretted, as dozens of files suddenly came flying at her. She was just able to hold in her voice and get out a quiet command to _'stop'_ , once everything had settled, she began carefully sifting through the files, before finding another _'general information'_ file, which she opened

This time, a holographic image of Earth appeared, and Piper was stunned by how similar to Atmos it looked, a blue green ball, with various sized and shaped continents, and ice at the poles. Then the Focus began speaking, "Earth, homeworld of Humanity and current seat of the United Nations of Earth, the representative government for the nations of Humanity and their allies. A continental world, with 70% of its surface covered by water, it has a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere and a rich and diverse biosphere, containing multiple habitats, ranging from temperate forests and grasslands, to scorching desert, soaring mountains, icy tundra, and bustling cities." Piper watched in awe, as a new world was displayed before her, all of the different habitats, and forms of life, and the glittering cities, with their flying cars, and soaring buildings that touched the sky itself. The Telani had built some pretty impressive structures themselves, but nothing in the realm of what the humans seemed capable of

Then the focus continued, "The UNE is a collective government, with representatives from each nation that makes up the UNE serving on the board. It is led by the board director, Delores Muwanga, who has held the position since Humanity's initial expansion into space. Originally, the board was made up of purely human members, but as the UNE added new races into itself – through uplifts, technological enlightenment, or even interventions – the board has begun to include members from these new races to represent their species, in the UNE. The most notable of these is Ambassador Shaak Ti, of the Togruta people. One of the first non-human members of the board, the Ambassador has made it a point to continuously be outspoken in the bid for equality and prosperity, for all races within the UNE, an endeavour she continuously finds support in."

Piper watched as a holo-image of a tall woman, with strange white and blue, cranial constructs, two pointing up, and two hanging down. Shook hands with another woman – whom Piper assumed was human, based on her similar appearance to Lark – who had dark skin and hair with green eyes. The first woman wore a simple brown robe, while the second, wore a crisp, clean white dress, with the odd adornment here and there, and a silver insignia – a framework circle, with four crossbeams across the diameter, with more circles running parallel to the first inside it. On this framework were all the landmasses of Earth, arranged as if the Earth had been flattened and you were looking at it from the top, all this encircled by two stalks of wheat – that Piper had already learned was the flag of the UNE, pinned to her lapel.

Piper sat back, absorbing all this information, calling up some other, more detailed files on the recent history of Earth, and the UNE. This is where she found a segment concerning the UNE's acceptance into the Galactic Council

"Search function, Galactic Council," Piper said, once again she was bombarded with files, but she'd been prepared for it this time, and managed to keep her cool. Once she found the file she wanted, she opened it

An image of a circle appeared, with a hole in the middle, and broken at the bottom. After a small gap, five blocks, their sides all slightly curved – with the exception of the ones facing directly away from the circle – appeared around it, giving the appearance of an upside down, five pronged star. This was set on a circular background with a blocky design around most of the edge. Then the Focus began again, "The Galactic Council is a Federation of different species, collected in the south western hemisphere of the galaxy. The Council is governed from the Citadel, a large space station found in the Serpent Nebula, upon which, every species maintains an embassy. Members of the Council enjoy a standardized currency, protection provided by Council fleets, and a collective voice in greater galactic dealings. The Council is led by its five most advanced, wealthy, and powerful races, this is the Citadel Council. While the Citadel Council has no official power over the independent governments of other species within their Federation, the decisions they make, carry a great deal of weight throughout Council space. The current members of the Citadel Council are; the Asari Republic, the Salarian Union, the Turian Empire, the Asgard, and their newest member, the United Nations of Earth."

Piper watched as images of different races working together played before her eyes, before she was shown the five races that made up the Citadel Council. "No member of the Citadel Council is powerful enough to oppose the others, as such, all have a vested interest in compromise and cooperation. Each Council species has general characteristics associated with the various aspects of governing Council space. The Asari are typically seen as diplomats and mediators, while the Salarians gather intelligence and information. The Turians make up the military backbone of the Council, but have recently come to share this role with the UNE, additionally; the UNE represents the most pioneering aspect of the Council, and frequently pushes for further expansion and exploration of unknown quarters of the galaxy. The Asgard, as the oldest race on the Council, fills the role of guides and advisors, their civilisation having once spanned most of the known galaxy back in its hay-day, the knowledge, wisdom and experience of the Asgard has proved invaluable to the Council, on multiple occasions."

Piper soaked up the information provided; things were starting to make sense

 _Lark didn't just have_ _ **us**_ _to think about back at the quarry, but her own species, and dozens of others... but if the Galactic Council is the power this says it is... why would Lark's people be afraid of war with the Hegemony?_

As if on que, the Focus answered her thoughts, "Currently, tensions have been rising between the Galactic Council and the Gorvan Hegemony, thanks to the UNE's staunch opposition to the Gorvan slave trade, and the situation on the planet Atmos. Currently, the Gorvan military is roughly equivalent in power to that of the Galactic Council, but with Atmos being unknown to the general public, the Council is unwilling to drag its members, into a war for a planet and species they neither know, nor care about. Meanwhile, with the collective power of the Galactic Council hanging over them, the Hegemony is also unwilling to go to war, for fear it might lose, thus has the situation now devolved into a stalemate, where neither side is willing to make the first move."

 _And as a result, my people have been left to the Gorvan's tender mercies... so long as the status quo continues, my people will be enslaved_

Piper's mind then drifted to Lark, and a slow smile spread across her face

 _Maybe she'll disrupt it... maybe, at long last... someone will stand up for us... alongside us... and finally break this status quo_

With that thought in mind, Piper turned back to her research, there was still so much to learn

* * *

 _Atmosia, Skyknight Command, July 6_ _th_ _, 2:00pm_

Kite's eyes fluttered open, finding herself lying on a small bed, staring up at a familiar white ceiling, she knew the room she was in, she'd just never seen it from this angle before

 _The infirmary... Skyknight Command... I'm alive then?_

In answer, her head suddenly flared in pain, causing her to cry out, and clutch her head, where she felt an assortment of bandages, one of which covered her left eye

 _That explains why my vision is a little skewed_

With the pain, came memories, and Kite's one visible eye widened as the events of the Fledging came back to her

 _I have to tell Lightning_

Suddenly a nurse was at her side, giving her a concerned look, "You need to rest Kite, you're injury is very severe, you mustn't exert yourself," she ordered, trying to get Kite to lie down

"No," Kite said, putting as much force behind the word as she could, "I need to speak to Lightning, quickly!"

"You've just been through a very intense operation, the doctor was afraid we'd lose you, you _need_ to rest," the nurse insisted

Kite gave a growl as the pain lanced through her skull again, she didn't have time for this, if she went back to sleep, her head injury could cause her to forget what happened; she needed to tell Lightning _now_. "I can sleep after Lightning has heard what I have to say, now get him down here!" she yelled, the volume of her own voice causing her pain, she didn't care though

The nurse, knowing she'd never win this, turned to a panel on the wall with a mic and speaker, and pressed the button on one corner. "Paging Commanded Strike, please come to the infirmary immediately," she said, her voice emitting from every speaker in the building over the intercom

In his cell, Harrier suddenly leapt out of his chair, and began throwing himself at the door, it didn't budge, but that didn't stop him from trying

Lightning came running into the infirmary, Ren Peregrine and Old Wren right behind him, "Kite, you're awake," Lightning said, as he rushed to her bed side, where the nurse was administering a mild pain relief

"Yea, I' am, and I have some crazy s*** to tell you," she replied through gritted teeth. All three of them were instantly paying attention, as Kite began speaking

...

An hour and a half later, all three were in Lightning's office, along with the team leader of the rapid response Lightning had sent to rescue Kite and Harrier, they'd just finished telling him what Kite had told them, and he was now staring at the floor in shock. Kite herself was now asleep again, the doctor had insisted, and was also worried about the pain her injury was causing her; he had scheduled a CT scan to determine if there was damage they'd missed. Meanwhile, in Lightning's office, the mood was stunned silence, finally, the team leader spoke, "I don't know what to tell you sir, either Kite is delusional... or these aliens are _very_ efficient when it comes to clean up, because we never found _anything_ to suggest something like this."

"I imagine you wouldn't," Lightning muttered, it all made sense now, "If these aliens really _are_ behind the disappearances, then it stands to reason that they make sure to never leave any evidence for us to find... keeps us in the dark... which means we can't do a damn thing to stop them."

Old Wren nodded solemnly, while Ren clenched his fist, "She was telling the truth then, this enemy really is beyond us," he muttered, not realizing he'd said it out loud, till the words passed his lips

All eyes were suddenly on him, Lightning in particular was regarding him with suspicion, "What do you mean by that Ren?" he demanded

Ren sighed, he'd been planning on telling Lightning anyway, but he'd wanted more information first, "The night you told us what happened, Cecilia and I were visited by a being, who we suspect was an alien, but not one of the ones responsible."

Lightning suddenly stood, "What!?"

"How do you know this alien wasn't one of the ones responsible for the disappearances?" Old Wren asked

"Because she gave us a device, on which was a recording of the previous week from that point, a recording I know to be true because I saw the start of it happen," Ren explained. "This alien, who called herself _'Lark'_ to my daughter Piper, and her friends, travelled with them on the Fledging, taking part in it with them." Ren then looked at the floor, the words suddenly sticking in his throat, "Then on the day our children were taken from us, she tried to prevent it, but failed, was forced to retreat, and leave our children to the mercy of _another_ alien race that she called the _'Gorvans'_."

Lightning's hands clenched into fists, "You've known this whole time what happened?" he asked through gritted teeth, "You've had this information for four days, and you told us nothing!"

Ren now looked back up, a fire in his eyes, "First off Lightning, don't you _dare_ insinuate what I think you're going to, because it's not true, second, while we did know, very little of what we were seeing made sense to us, thirdly, we were seeing things from this _'Lark's'_ perspective, someone who has more information than we do, but wasn't saying it out loud of course. Fourth, it was a whole _week's_ worth of recorded footage, we had to skip some bits just to reach the end within four days, and we only saw that part yesterday. And finally..." Ren trailed off as tears filled his eyes, when he continued, his voice was barely a whisper, "Finally, that recording was all we had left of our daughters... even if it was through another's eyes... it still gave us something to hold on to..." he trailed off as the tears tracked down his cheeks, his wings falling to his sides

Lightning's own expression of anger and betrayal had gone, and was replaced with one of pity and remorse. His whole form sagged as he let out a sigh, "Where is this recording now?"

"My wife has it, she hasn't let it out of her sight since we got it," Ren replied

Lightning nodded, "Bring her here so we can take a look," he said, to which Ren nodded in reply, then Lightning turned to the team leader, "Head back out with your team, gather a couple others as well, scour the area around the old quarry, now you know what to look for, you might turn up something."

The team leader stood and saluted, "Right away Commander."

Lightning nodded, and was about to say something else, when a panicked voice came over the intercom, "Commander, Harrier has escaped his cell!"

Lightning jabbed the intercom button on his desk, "What, how!?"

"He started bashing the door, the guards went in to stop him to make sure he didn't injure himself... he... he killed them... and now he's heading for the infirmary!" came the panicked and scared reply

Lightning felt his blood go cold, "ALL SKYKNIGHTS, TO THE INFIRMARY, PROTECT KITE AT ALL COSTS!"

* * *

Harrier felt like he was watching from outside his body as he stumbled down the corridor towards the infirmary, his face had a dead look, like his soul had been completely removed from his body. Finally, the infirmary door came into view. As he walked towards it, two Skyknights blocked his path, "That's far enough Harrier, stand down," one of them ordered. Harrier ignored them, and continued to walk forward, his muscles tensing

"We don't want to hurt you Harrier," the first said

"Spirits, look at his eyes," the second breathed

Harrier was a few feet away from them when he finally swung, both had the presence of mind to dodge, causing Harrier's fist to connect with a concrete wall. Dust exploded around his fist as it connected to the wall, forming a fist sized crater

Both Skyknights stared at Harrier in shock and terror, he didn't even appear to be injured from the blow, and now they could see the murderous intent burning in his eyes. Before either could react, Harrier's wings swiped through the air as he spun, slamming both of them into the far wall, and knocking them out-cold, Harrier then turned to the door, and kicked it open. The commotion had woken Kite, who now stared at Harrier with a mixture of fear, shock and confusion, the nurse who'd been tending to her, put herself between Kite and Harrier, determined to protect her charge, despite the fact that she was shaking uncontrollably with fear

Harrier advanced on them both, and casually knocked the nurse aside as she attempted to charge Harrier, she collapsed to the floor, dazed. Kite stared up at Harrier from the bed, terror forming on her face as she gazed into his currently soulless eyes

 _Why is he doing this... what's wrong with him?_

Kite did not have long to contemplate this thought, as Harrier reached out for her, before he could touch her though, he suddenly stiffened. Behind him stood Lightning, holding a taser, which he'd just fired into Harrier's back. Harrier turned stiffly, regarding Lightning with contempt as he pulled the taser darts from his back

 _What the hell, that was enough voltage to drop a Telani twice his size_

Lightning didn't have time to figure out why the taser hadn't worked though, as Harrier lunged for him. Lightning met him with a vicious knee jab to the solar plexus, stopping Harrier's charge cold, but he recovered quickly, his fist swinging for Lightning's head. It was a good thing Lightning had noticed the crater in the wall outside, or he wouldn't have had the presence of mind to dodge in time, as it was, he felt the breeze as Harrier's fist passed overhead, before delivering a double jab of his own to Harrier's torso. Harrier staggered back, snarling, he then raised both fists overhead, to deliver a downward strike on Lightning. Before he could however, there was a sharp _clang_ as a heavy metallic pole connected with Harrier's head, causing him to crumple like a sack of potatoes

Kite stood behind him, panting from the exertion it took to deliver her strike, "That makes us even," she gasped, before collapsing to her knees. The nurse rushed to her side instantly, while Lightning went to check on Harrier, he found a pulse, steady and strong, as the doctor and a number of Skyknights rushed into the room

"Commander," the doctor cried, moving over to Lightning and Harrier

"Get some extra medics for the men outside," Lightning said to the ones who'd arrived, they nodded in response and turned from the room. Lightning then addressed the doctor, "I think Harrier is the one in more serious need of a CT scan right now doctor, get it done please." The doctor nodded, and went to the intercom to begin barking orders to his staff

Lightning sat back next to Harrier as people rushed around him

 _This whole thing is getting crazier and crazier, just what in spirits name is wrong with Harrier... why would he do this?_

Lightning ran over everything he'd learned today, and then reminded himself there was still more to learn

 _I hope that recording Ren and Cecilia have sheds some light on this... because I'm all out of ideas... aliens abducting our children... another group trying to help... but failing... just what in spirits name is going on?_

* * *

 _Freelance Vessel Normandy, July 6_ _th_ _, 6:00pm_

Lark was awoken by a gentle nudging, slowly her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up to see a Wallop standing over her

"Oh, you're awake," the Wallop said, smiling. He looked like a typical Wallop, big brawny and tough looking. Like all Wallops, his hide looked thick, and was a light ochre colour. His hair was a blue grey colour and his eyes were a light green. The small horn atop his nose suggested he had not yet hit puberty. Unlike the rest of the crew, he wasn't wearing the standard UNE uniform; instead, he wore an army green jumpsuit, with blue leggings and gloves. Lark recognised the jumpsuit as the under layer for most heavy armour sets

"I' am now," Lark replied tiredly

The Wallop gave a slight cringe, "Yea, sorry, it's just I was told to ask you if you were hungry, we're all having dinner in the mess right now."

In response, Lark's stomach gave a rumble, she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, she blushed as she responded, "Food would be nice."

The Wallop smiled, and led the way back to the mess, there they found James Vega, Garrus, Samantha, a Blizzarian with a Lemur Rabbit, a woman in her earlier twenties, covered in tattoos, with dark hair styled into a ponytail, and a Merb. The Blizzarian had light blue fur over most of her body, while her hair and the fur on her ears, was darker in colour, closer to purple. She had yellow eyes and two gold rings in her left ear. Like the rest of the crew, she wore an old UNE uniform, with an Engineer's icon on her lapel, her position on the crew was further accentuated by the odd oil stain or scorch mark. The Lemur-Rabbit, which was perched on her shoulder, also had blue fur, and wore its own, smaller version of the crew uniform

This didn't surprise Lark; Lemur-Rabbits were incredibly intelligent creatures, capable of empathy and feeling, on the same level as most sentient species. They came from the same world as the Blizzarians themselves, some scientists had even theorized that the two species were close cousins who shared a common ancestor, given the similarities between the two. The Merb was part of a four fingered and toed oddity in the galaxy, no one really knew what to make of them, since they shared a lot of human characteristics, but had DNA which suggested an amphibian ancestry. The one at the table seemed a typical Merb, green skin and hair, and eyes that had no whites, but were just an off yellow, with tiny pupils at their centre. He also wore a standard UNE uniform, this one's icons marking him as a pilot

It was the woman who stood out the most in this crowd though, unlike the others, she didn't wear the uniform. Instead, she wore what appeared to be camo coloured jeans, with purpose built holes in them, showing parts of her legs, and the tattoos on them. From there upwards, her body was covered in almost nothing but straps and belts, showing off more tattooed skin. Only once you reached her shoulders did proper clothes come back into the equation, and even then, they amounted to nothing more than an open, black leather half jacket, with metal studs and what looked like raised shoulder pads. The tattoos continued passed her shoulders, Lark saw several that crept up her neck, and one running around her head, starting at her temple. She wore heavy mascara and red lipstick. Her hair was kept only to the crown, above the tattoo that ran around her head, the rest was shaved, it was however long enough for her have a short ponytail coming off the back

It was the tattooed woman who noticed their approach first, "Well rise and shine princess, what kept you?"

"Jack, play nice," Garrus cautioned, to which Jack flipped him off

"Don't mind her," James called from the kitchen, where he and Samantha were cooking, "She's just marking her turf, making sure you know whose boss around here."

Lark raised an eyebrow at this, before a smirk crossed her face, "I thought Shepard was the boss."

That got a laugh out of everyone, while Jack just scowled, as everyone's mirth was dying down, she sat up to retort. "Oh yea princess, well f-" Jack began, but was cut off as Garrus cleared his throat sharply, before tapping a jar half filled with tokens. If anything, the scowl on Jack's face became even fiercer, but she sat back and folded her arms all the same, "Goddamn swear jar, why'd I ever agree to that."

More chuckles went round the group as Lark and the Wallop sat down at the table, "Don't take it personally, Jack has always been a bit abrasive, but she's one hell of a fighter and loyal to a fault, it just takes a while to get on her good side," Garrus said

Lark nodded "Good to know

Garrus smiled, then gestured to the Blizzarian, "This here is our resident Engineer, Suzy Lu, and her grease monkey, Radarr."

"Nice to meet ya eh," Suzy greeted, a warm smile on her furry face, mirrored by Radarr

Lark nodded a greeting back as Garrus continued, "Stork here is the Normandy's co-pilot, in case something should happen to Joker, and he also pilots the shuttle as well."

"Heh," Stork greeted, rather apathetically

"Don't mind him, he's a bit on the paranoid side so it takes him time to warm up to people," Garrus added, before turning to the Wallop. "And of course, you've met Junko already, our tank grown Wallop," Garrus said, clapping Junko on the shoulder

Lark blinked, "Wait, _'tank grown'_?"

"That's right eh, he's a clone, or rather, he's an artificially made Wallop, with multiple donors of DNA," Suzy explained

"He was designed by a major pharmaceutical company which had been contracted to make a super soldier," James said, as he began bringing over food. "We were hired by the company's competitors to stop the project, when they learned what Junko was however, they wanted it for themselves."

"So Shepard, being the bleeding heart that she is, decides to not take the fat pay check we were offered, and instead, run off, with the tank grown Wallop and make him a part of our family," Jack completed

Lark's eyes widened, and she glanced at Junko, who didn't seem at all fazed by any of this, "That's... I... you're okay with that?"

Junko glanced up at her, and gave her a small smile, "Sure, better than okay, my life before Shepard and the crew found me was confined to the tank I was born in, and if not for them, I'd have died in that tank as well." He then gestured around the table at everyone, "Thanks to these people, I have a life, a home, a family, everything I could ever ask for."

Lark shook her head in amazement, then she turned to Suzy Lu, "Okay, what's your story, how does a Blizzarian Engineer, end up on a stolen ship as part of a mercenary crew?"

"Oh, I was part of the crew that got this ship back from the people who originally stole the plans for it," Suzy said with a smile

"That's right," Garrus said, "Her father helped build the first iteration of this ship, the SSV Normandy. After that one was destroyed and we learned that another was being built by the very people who destroyed it, we needed someone who knew the ship." He now nodded to Suzy, "Suzy here learned everything she could about the ship from her father when she was still very young, so even though her old man was unable to come on that mission, we still had someone who knew the ship's systems inside and out."

"And I've been a part of the crew ever since," Suzy finished with a lopsided smile

Lark gave her an appraising look, then glanced to Radarr, "And him?"

"Oh Radarr's been with me since I was a little kid eh, he followed me around everywhere I went, and when I started getting good at fixing things, he would help me, we've been partners ever since," Suzy replied

Lark's gaze now turned back to Jack, as they all began to tuck into their meals, "So, were you a member of this crew before Shepard went freelance?"

"Yea, I was," she replied, "Me, Garrus and Vega have been on this crew longer than most here."

"And some of us longer than others," Garrus muttered to Vega, which got more amusement out of everyone except Jack, who flipped them both off

"I pull my weight around here, when Shepard says jump, I say how high, she asks me to make a bunch of guys a smear on the walls, I ask her what pattern she'd like. I' am the most dangerous badass on this ship, with the exception of Shepard herself, so a word of advice, stay out of my way, and we'll do just fine," as she finished, she turned to her meal and began eating with gusto

Lark simply stared at her curiously, "You sound loyal to Shepard, but at the same time, you make it sound like an inconvenience?"

Jack stopped eating, and looked back up, studying Lark, no one else spoke, all quiet, then, Jack replied, "Shepard helped me out of a bind some time back, suffice it to say, if she hadn't I'd still be on ice, I owe _her_ , and I'll follow her to hell and back. As for you, if Shepard wants to bring you along, then fine, that's her choice, but I don't have to like it, or _you_ , frankly, the only reason I'm not more angry about this, is because of what those Gorvan son's of b-"

Another cough from Garrus, but this time, Jack continued, heedless, except for tossing in a small token into the jar. "-itches did on Atmos, for which I will make them _pay_." With that, Jack picked up her food, and left the table, the others watched her go in silence, only once she was gone, did Garrus speak

"Like I said, abrasive, best to give her some space and time to get used to you, she doesn't do well with new faces."

"Why?" Lark asked

"Trust issues," James said, "Her whole life has been one betrayal after another, only after she met Shepard was she shown any kindness and compassion."

"But that long, that much hatred and anger, burning and festering inside you, it changed Jack, forever," Samantha added. "She doesn't trust anyone she doesn't know, believe me, I've had to live with that distrust since I came aboard, right before Shepard decided to go freelance."

Lark glanced round at all of them, before her eyes found Stork, "So what about you then Stork, when did you join this crew?"

Lark watched as a devious smirk grew across his face, and missed the looks of despair on the faces of the others. Then, in classic ham actor mode, Stork threw one arm over his forehead, as he leaned back into his chair. "Oh, where to begin, my tragic tale of woe," What followed was an hour and half that Lark would regret for the rest of her life

* * *

 _The Jagged Claw, July 6_ _th_ _, 8:00pm_

Piper heard the door to the cargo bay open, she quickly shut off her Focus. Even though only _she_ could see and hear the display - thanks to the privacy setting - the Focus itself, still glowed blue whenever in was on, and she didn't want to risk it being spotted through her hair. Once she was sure it was off, she glanced towards the doors, to see what was going on. She was shocked to see Starling, making her way through the cages, towards _her_

As Starling approached, Piper turned away from her presenting her back to her sister, she listened as Starling's footsteps drew closer, until they stopped, right behind her

"Piper," Starling's quiet voice spoke in the large room, filled with Telani captives, "Piper... I'm so sorry... I didn't want to hurt you... I was just trying to protect you..."

"By torturing me," Piper bit back, crisply

"If I hadn't done it, Repton would have, and he'd have killed you," Starling replied

"So I'm supposed to believe that what you did was an act of mercy," Piper growled back

Starling sighed, "I knew you wouldn't believe me, but I had to at least try to apologise." With that, Piper heard Starling begin walking away

She turned back to see her sister making her way back towards the door through the cages, "Wait," Piper called

Starling turned back, hope now shinning in her eyes, she walked the small distance she'd gone, back to Piper's cage, kneeling in front of it when she got there. The two sisters stared at one another for a moment, and then Starling reached out a hand to Piper. Piper let Starling stroke her cheek, bringing her own hand to Starling's and holding it there. For four years she'd dreamed of seeing her sister again, and now here they were, it wasn't quite how Piper imagined it, but what mattered was she was here, with her

"I forgive you," Piper whispered, and tears began forming in Starling's eyes. She looked about ready to move forward and embrace Piper through the cage, before Piper stopped her with a raised hand, "Now help us escape."

Starling backed away, her face suddenly a turmoil of emotion, "I... I can't... d-do that... P-Piper."

Piper's face became stern as she grabbed the bars, "Yes you can, you know this ship, you know these cages, help us escape them, then we can go home, together, back to mom and dad, don't you want that!?"

Starling turned away, wrapping both her arms and wings around herself, "More than anything Piper... but I can't... you don't know what he'd do if we even _tried_ to escape."

"I know what he'll do if we stay here, he'll do to us what he's done to you and the others... he'll _'indoctrinate'_ us, whatever that means... he'll make us slaves... and he'll keep doing it, unless we stand up to him," Piper replied

"You can't stand up to him Piper, every Telani that has ever stood up to him has died, or watched him commit some horror or atrocity upon their family," Starling now turned her gaze back to Piper, "This is not an enemy we can beat Piper

"Then help us!" Piper cried, "With your help I know we can beat him, please Starling-"

"NO!"

The shout woke some of the other Telani, who now looked towards the two of them to see what was going on. "Please Piper... please don't force me to choose between you and our people... we can't beat him... we can't win... all fighting will do is cause us more pain... will cause our families pain... only those who submit will be shown mercy or favour... only those who submit, will ensure their families are kept safe."

As Starling spoke, tears traced down her cheeks, Piper and the others could only watch her shed them. Then, she straightened up, the tears gone and her eyes hard, "I'm sorry Piper, but this is the only way our people can have a future, and I will _not_ jeopardize that for my own comfort, or the comfort of others that the Gorvan have chosen."

With that, she turned away, and began walking back towards the door; all they could do was watch her leave, a settling feeling of despair, sweeping through the room, from her words. There was no hope, for any of them

 _Wrong, we have Lark... she's on her way, I know it... we just have to hold out long enough_

The doors closed behind Starling with an ominous clang, leaving the young Telani in darkness once more

* * *

 **To be Continued dear readers**

 **We have now officially hit the half way mark, from here, things are going to get a lot more serious, as we build to the inevitable conflict... so, as always, stay tuned for more, and as always, constructive criticism is welcome**

 **See you all next time ; )**


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely cause I want it to,** **Additionally, credit to cover image goes to Mythorie over on Deviant Art, your awesome mate**

 **'I see fields of green, red roses too. I see them bloom, for me and you. And I think to myself. What a wonderful world. Yes, I think to myself. What a wonderful world.'**

 **OH, hi there, your back... well... this is awkward... lets just get started shall we**

 **HELLO ALL, welcome back. Today's chapter will be more focused on Piper, since she's been asking for some more of the limelight recently ( _careful what you wish for_ ). We're starting to move things forward now, and are drawing ever closer to Bogaton and this story's inevitable conclusion. Some things to know**

 **Drell are a species of sentient reptiles living on the Hanar homeworld of Kahje, some are chosen by the Hanar to become their agents, and are trained from a young age.**

 **Now as far as I'm aware, lightning is not included in the repertoire of powers Biotics possess. In my opinion though, it really should be, so I'm including it as an ability, albeit one that requires a lot of skill, practice, and willpower to use effectively, and safely**

 **Also please be aware I'm not a martial artist, I'm just researching stuff off the net and looking for anything that I feel fits inside my head with what I want this story to be**

 **And finally, a warning, this chapter has some Dark, and I mean DARK things mentioned in it, that may not sit well with everyone. Also while it is not graphic in any way, there is also some implied nudity in this chapter. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED**

 **well I think that's everything, so...**

 **WARNING:** ** ** ** ** **THIS STORY CONTAINS THEMES OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND SLAVERY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR PREVIOUS PAGE**********

 ** ** ** ** **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all... welcome back to... Stellaris, Book 1: The Fledging**********

 _ ** ** **Blurb:******_

 **On the planet of Atmos, the Telani people prepare for their annual tradition known as the Fledging, a journey undertaken by Telani about to enter adulthood. On this journey we follow a group of young Telani – Piper, Aerrow, Finn and their older peer, Dove – excited to begin their Fledging. However, unbeknownst to them, they have an unexpected guest, a Human, called Lark Cyclonis, secretly visiting their planet, studying their people and culture**

 **Together they depart on the Fledging, all the while unaware of the shadow that looms over Atmos, and is due to strike again. When it does, the youngsters are flung into a Galaxy of danger, meeting new people, both friends, and enemies, and reuniting with long lost loved ones. The young Telani of Atmos are about to find out, that their world is so much bigger than they could have possibly imagined**

* * *

Chapter 7: Below the Boot Heel

 _The Jagged Claw, July 7_ _th_ _, 7:00am_

Repton's cabin was as ostentatious as one might expect from a member of the Gorvan High Nobility. It was split into three rooms, of these the largest was the main area. It was here that Repton would meet privately with his staff, or answer long distance calls. To facilitate this, the area was fitted with a fully decked Holo-system that could project Holograms of callers anywhere in the room. For those that possessed a similar system, this meant they could move about the room with Repton, as if they were having a discussion face to face. This was the situation that Repton now found himself in upon waking, as his VI informed him of an incoming call from Bogaton, from the Emperor

"Good morning brother, my apologies for waking you so early."

Repton waved it off, "Not at all Telvos, I'd planned to be up and about this early anyway, lots to do."

"Yes, I imagine so," Telvos said, as Repton poured himself a glass of water. "But now, the reason for my call, there's been some strange chatter from your fleet, about a human on Atmos?"

Repton paused, contemplating what to say, "Rumors make for such entertaining gossip brother, you shouldn't put too much stock in them."

"So there _wasn't_ a human on Atmos?"

Repton smirked as he sipped his water, "I did not say that, just pointing out that this is something we should keep to ourselves."

Telvos frowned, "Care to elaborate?"

Repton set down his goblet, "A young Lieutenant – with ideals far above her station – thought she'd try and challenge me, the situation has been dealt with, I assure you."

"You're sure of that?"

Repton was about to agree to that, when he paused again, remembering _who_ exactly, had made the incursion. "Yes, but we ought to remain cautious, just in case, seeing how it was Anarchis' granddaughter who committed the act."

Telvos' eyes widened at the name, "Anarchis Cyclonis, _her_ granddaughter, really!?"

Repton nodded, "It's nothing to be too concerned about, the brat is emotional and impulsive, if she doesn't get herself killed in some ill advised rescue mission, she'll very likely end up angering her superiors in some way, and get kicked out of the UNE Navy. Either way, she won't be a problem for long."

" _Ill advised rescue mission_?" Telvos repeated

Repton smirked, "She has no allies to draw on, no one to help her, and if she does come, I'll take great pleasure in breaking and chaining the granddaughter of the great Anarchis Cyclonis."

Telvos stared hard at Repton for several moments, before finally nodding, "See that you do, Telvos out."

With that his Hologram fizzled out, and Repton was left alone. He gritted his teeth, _one day_ , he thought, _one day I'll be rid of you,_ _ **brother**_ _, and all of the Hegemony will bow at my feet... One Day_

* * *

 _Freelance Vessel Normandy, 7:30am_

Lark yawned as Junko led her out of the elevator and into the shuttle bay/armoury of the ship. There were various crew members moving around, running maintenance tasks and the like, but their focus was the area just beyond the armoury, between the shuttle to the right, and storage to the left, where Shepard, Jack, Garrus, Vega and a Drell were all waiting. As they approached, Garrus chuckled

"I did warn you to get some sleep; Shepard doesn't mess around when it comes to training."

Lark yawned again before replying, "Can't help it, sleep cycle is all messed up right now."

"Oh boo hoo princess, want me to sing you a lullaby," Jack sneered from her spot on one of the crates

"Jack," Shepard warned, to which Jack just scoffed and looked away. Shepard then turned to Lark, "Well hopefully this will get you back in rhythm, now, as I understand it you've met almost everyone here, except Thane," she turned to the Drell as she spoke

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant," Thane said, giving a small bow as he did

"Likewise," Lark replied

"Thane is a professional Assassin, trained by the Hanar," Shepard stated

Lark blinked, "Wait... the Hanar, as in, polite, always respectful, worships the Enkindlers, Hanar!?"

Everyone chuckled as Thane nodded, "The very same."

"You might want to pick your jaw up off the floor there princess," Jack sniggered

Lark shook her head to clear it, while Shepard smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You know, I'm just going to stop thinking anything is impossible with you lot, maybe then you'll stop surprising me."

"Oh I doubt that Lola, the odd and unexpected is a daily thing on this ship," James chuckled

Lark rolled her eyes at that as Shepard spoke, "Moving on, as I understand it, you're a student at the Alpha Centauri Academy?"

"That's right," Lark replied

Shepard nodded, "Alright then, today will be an aptitude test of sorts then. We'll be seeing what kind of level you're skills are at, then we can work from there."

"We need everyone at their best when we reach the Hegemony, our strength is our teamwork, always has been," Garrus stated, with a small wink to Shepard at the end

"Fair enough," Lark nodded, "So what's first?"

Shepard smiled, "Garrus."

Garrus smiled in turn as he stepped forward and brought Lark over to a table with an array of weapons laid out across the surface. "Pick the two you're most comfortable with," he said. Lark looked over the weapons, before selecting a pistol and sniper. "Interesting choice, let's see what you can do with them," Garrus declared, before using a control panel to pull up some targets at the opposite end of the shuttle bay. Lark pulled out the pistol first, and began firing down range, getting almost perfect bull's-eyes with every shot, in just under a minute

"Not bad, wouldn't you agree Garrus?" Shepard asked

"Not too shabby at all, could use a little work though."

"I haven't had all that much chance to practice the last few months," Lark stated, as she pulled out the sniper. This one she had more difficulty with, as she'd only fired a gun larger than a pistol a few times, and only once had it been a sniper. The kickback took her off guard a bit, but she was still able to take down all targets within a few minutes

"Not bad, for a beginner at least, honestly I wasn't expecting you to be that proficient with a rifle, but you're certainly better than most cadets I've met," Garrus praised

"At the very least, she knows how to handle the weapon, that's more than most cadets can claim," Thane noted

"Fair point," Shepard agreed, before shutting off the targets, "Alright, next test, hand to hand combat, Thane."

Thane gave a small bow, before moving to the centre of the cleared area, Vega followed him. Lark handed the weapons to Garrus and followed them. "Mr Vega shall be you're sparring partner for today, but I shall be assessing your form," Thane declared, "Whenever you are both ready, you may begin."

Lark nodded as she and James took fighting stances in the centre of the shuttle bay, "Ready to dance Lola?"

Lark frowned at the name, but also smirked, "Always." With that she launched her attack, opening with a number of quick powerful jabs that James blocked. She followed this up with a few well timed kicks, before dodging James' counter. She stayed on the move, always keeping on her toes, using her smaller size and greater speed to her advantage, trying to get around behind James' guard. Ordinarily, James would have been moving with her, but he was well aware how outclassed he was in terms of speed, but in trade, he had size and strength on his side, so he stayed relatively still, moving only to follow where Lark went, trying to keep her in front of him, rather than let her get behind. They went at it for about ten minutes, with Lark getting in some good hits, though some of her more wild attacks caused her to take a couple as well. Finally, Thane declared he'd seen enough

They both parted, panting slightly, as Shepard handed them both a water bottle each, "Thanks Commander," James said, as he proceeded to drink half of it, and then poured the other half down the back of his neck. "Little Niña isn't half bad."

"She certainly has skill, but her form could use work," Thane said, stepping up. He then turned to Lark, "I noticed you favoured the 'Capoeira Regional' style, mixed with a slight bit of Karate."

Lark nodded, "When I began the hand to hand training at the Academy, my instructors told me it was a waste of time to go for the styles that focused on sheer power or endurance, I don't have the strength or stamina for it. They suggested I find a style more suited to a lighter more mobile frame, I spent three weeks researching various art forms, until coming across one that was quite prevalent across much of Centauri."

"Really?" Shepard asked, intrigued

Lark nodded, "A lot of the original waves of colonists to Alpha Centauri Prime were Latin American, and many of them brought their native arts with them, including their martial ones. The UNE Capoeira championships are now held on Alpha Centauri every year."

"Huh, learn something new every day," James noted

"Indeed, and this is also good for me, the martial skills the Hanar trained me in were focused towards power, grace and acrobatics, it's similar in many ways to Capoeira, though that could be said of most martial arts," Thane said. "In the next few days, I'd like us to refine you're basic form, you've got the basics and even the intermediates down, but we need to hone your skills if you're to advance."

Lark nodded, expecting this from a professional, which she knew, she was not. Then Shepard stepped in, "Agreed, but let's move on to the final test today."

"Which is?" Lark asked

"Over here princess," Jack called from where she was sitting, "You didn't forget about _me_ did you?"

Lark felt her stomach flip, as Jack jumped down, her biotics already charging up around her. "Jack, remember what we talked about," Shepard warned

"Yea, yea Shepard, I remember, I'll play nice," Jack said, waving her off, "But that doesn't mean I won't be playing rough," she finished, with a bloodthirsty look on her face

Lark tossed away her now empty water bottle, and charged up her own biotics, as she faced her opponent. The two circled each other in the centre of the shuttle bay, as they did, it hadn't escaped Lark's notice that many of the people working down here, had moved as far away from where they were training as possible. She swallowed nervously, before steeling her resolve. Quick as a whip, she launched a wave of power at Jack, intending to send her flying. Jack countered with her barrier however, and responded in kind with ball of volatile energy, meant to take down Lark's barrier. Lark deflected the attack away, with a deft biotic block, but was then forced to dodge, as Jack came running in, biotics blazing, and delivering a biotic punch to where Lark had just been

"I can do this all day princess," Jack exclaimed, as she launched her own push at Lark

Lark caught it on her barrier, and began pushing back. At first, it seemed like she was getting nowhere, but then, to everyone's surprise, including her own, the collision area, began to move back towards Jack. Jack's eyes widened as she realised this, and put more power behind her push, Lark responded in kind, and the collision area, continued to move towards Jack. Over on the sidelines, Shepard watched the two biotics struggle against one another. Though Shepard herself was a powerful biotic, even she admitted Jack had more power, just less refinement and training. Lark was probably about at the same level of training as Jack was, if the Intel Liara had collected was accurate. And now, it was clear, she was probably on the same power level as well, maybe even greater

Eventually the collision area reached a halfway point between the two, and stayed there for about a minute, before Lark took a step forward, forcing the collision area towards Jack. Jack was now clearly panicking, as she was barely able to keep her current position and force up. To make matters worse, dark blue lighting had begun to spark around Lark, in about a two metre radius, except for the direction of the push, which was steadily growing longer. Shepard, Garrus, Thane and James, all backed off, upon seeing the lightning, and after observing for a few moments longer, Shepard decided she needed to end this

"Alright, that's enough," she called, but neither Jack nor Lark reacted to her words, now Shepard was panicking, "I said that's enough!"

They weren't listening; instead, Jack readjusted her footing, and began bracing herself against the far bulkhead. This finally caused Lark's advance to halt, but that didn't stop her from pouring more power into the push, now, rather than waves of energy, sparks of lightning, were crackling outwards from her, namely towards Jack, reaching out towards the collision point. If they even brushed Jack's biotics, Shepard knew the results could be catastrophic. Then, the inevitable happened, a single thread of lightning, leapt forward from Lark, towards the collision point. Jack saw it coming, and knew there was nothing she could do to stop it

Shepard noticed too, "THANE!" The Drell didn't need telling twice. Both he and Shepard, activated their biotics, and created a barrier around the collision point, Jack did the same. They only just made it, their barrier, absorbed the worst of the detonation, but it still created enough force to fling them all away from the collision point. Jack went bodily into the bulkhead, and slid down it to the bottom, Shepard, Garrus, James and Thane were all sent sprawling to the floor. Lark meanwhile, was flung towards the crates on the left side, her head, cracked against one, and she collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut. As darkness moved into her vision, she could vaguely hear Shepard shouting for a medical team

* * *

 _The Jagged Claw, July 7_ _th_ _, 8:00am_

Piper jerked awake at the sound of her peer's cries of fear. She quickly made sure the Focus was hidden by her hair, before sitting up and looking around. The Gorvan's were moving through the room, pulling her fellow Telani from their cages, at their head was Repton, with Horek on his right, and Starling at his left.

"What's going on?" Piper hissed to Dove

"I don't know," Dove replied, before a stalker opened her cage and dragged her out

"Move," the Gorvan growled, as a second one opened Piper's cage. She didn't wait to be dragged, and quickly vacated the cage, before following Dove. The Gorvan blinked in confusion for a moment, before catching Repton's eye as he nodded. Nodding back, the stalker turned to Aerrow's cage

Repton watched Piper walk by as she fell into the line of Telani being led out of the room, it did not escape his notice that she was the only one to look him in the eye as the line passed. "Stop!" he barked, and the line came to a halt. No one spoke as he approached Piper, who still managed to hold his gaze. He examined her, trying to figure out what was different about her, it suddenly struck him, "Where's your headband Blue Bird?"

Piper felt panic spark in her gut, but managed to force it down, "I only wear my hair up when I'm flying, reduces wind resistance, I prefer to wear my hair like this."

Repton frowned, and peered closer, Piper prayed he couldn't see the Focus through her hair. Suddenly, he grabbed her chin, and turned her head right and left, looking for something, before finally, letting her go. "Perhaps it's just my imagination," he mused, before his eyes narrowed, "But regardless, slaves eyes should be on the ground, not equal with their master's, is that clear, Blue Bird?"

Piper quickly averted her gaze to the floor, even dipping her head slightly, in hindsight, this was probably better for her, as her hair now covered more of her face, further hiding the Focus from view. "That's better," Repton praised, "You're learning fast Blue Bird, the more obedience you show, the easier your life shall be." He then waved the line on, and they began moving again

They were led through the ship, down several corridors, until they came to a junction. Here they were split by gender, boys one way, and girls the other. Piper glanced in the direction the boys were being led, and saw Aerrow and Finn looking back, before a Gorvan pushed them forward, and they were lost from view. A minute or two later, and they arrived in an area that resembled a shower room. Low benches lined the wall, and sets of lockers stood off to one side. A Female Gorvan – at least Piper assumed it was female, its scales seemed sleeker and smoother than those she'd seen so far – stood in the middle of the room. She wore a blue lab coat, which suggested a medical profession; her eyes were also softer as she examined all of them, her expression, almost sad. As they were gathered in front of her, a number of similarly clad Gorvans entered, also female. Then the lead turned towards the armoured Gorvan who'd led their group

"That will be all major, thank you," she said

The major in question, shifted slightly, "I'd prefer we stay, this batch has some unruly members in it."

The female waved him off, "Oh pish, my assistants and I can handle ourselves." At his worried glance over them all however, she continued, "But if it makes you feel better, I suppose you can wait outside, fair enough?"

The major, glanced once more over the lot of them, before nodding, "Fair enough... alright men, outside, let the doc do her work in peace." At his words, the other male Gorvans began to file out of the room. Piper glanced around, checking all possible means of escape, before the major was suddenly in her face, " _Behave yourself_ ," he growled, then marched past Piper, and out the door

Piper noticed the lead female Gorvan, raise an eyebrow, at her, to which Piper simply bowed her head again. _Show compliance, survive, and hang on until Lark arrives, we'll get our chance, we just have to hold on_. Piper's thoughts were broken as the female Gorvan spoke

"Alright girls, go ahead and undress, showers are that way on your left, I'm sure you could all use a good clean after spending so long cooped up in those cages." She indicated the area behind her as she spoke, while her assistants brought several large containers forward that hovered a few inches off the ground. No one moved for a few moments, the silence stretching out uncomfortably, Piper glanced around at everyone, noting the scared, tearful faces. She also noticed, for the first time since their capture, how grubby they all were. Suddenly, the thought of a shower, even a cold one, sounded like heaven

Feeling ever so slightly self-conscious, Piper stripped down, it helped that the room was occupied by just females, which, Piper guessed, was the whole reason the doctor had asked the males to leave. She quickly dumped her clothes into the nearest container, while wrapping her wings around her frame, and marching off to the showers. As she passed the doctor, Piper noted a small twitch of a small at the corner of her mouth. The answer to why, came in the form of Dove, hurrying to catch up with her, as well as the sounds of the others following their lead. Once Piper and Dove arrived in the shower room, they quickly picked a cubicle and turned on the water

 _Bliss_ , that was the only way to describe having the feeling of running water pouring over them, Piper could practically feel the dirt and grime of the last couple weeks washing away. The other girls soon followed in behind them, taking their lead, they got the showers on and began to wash. Soon everyone had started to become comfortable, and a small amount of chatter started up. That ended, when they noticed the doctor standing at the entrance to the room

"Don't mind me girls, just be aware, the showers are rationed to provide only ten minutes of water a day. Also, soap and shampoo are located in those small cupboards there," she pointed towards the small box like sections, placed high in each cubicle. "Once your done, meet back in the main area, fresh clothes will be brought soon, but before that, I would like to run a quick health examination, as well as take blood samples." With that, the doctor left, once she was gone, the chatter started up again, only this time, it mainly consisted of what exactly everyone thought was happening

"Seems a bit off, compared to their earlier behaviour, wouldn't you say?" Dove commented

"I don't know, we shouldn't take anything these people do at face value, we are their prisoners after all," Piper replied

Dove nodded thoughtfully at that, "Fair enough," she said, reaching up and finding the soap and shampoo, "Spirits though does this feel good, I thought we'd be stuck in those cages forever."

"Yeah..." Piper agreed, trailing off as a memory came to mind. _'The dangers of disobedience and the benefits of compliance.'_

Piper shuddered at the memory, a chill suddenly racing up her spine, _is this how it starts, how they begin indoctrinating us. If so, then it's no different to how one trains a pet, rewards for good behaviour, and punishment for bad_

With a start, Piper realised, that was exactly what they were to the Gorvans, _pets_ , animals, to be broken, trained, and then sold to the highest bidder. Bile rose in her throat, and she was unable to stop herself from retching

"Piper!" Dove exclaimed quickly rushing to her side, the others looked on in concern. "Piper, Piper are you okay?"

Piper finally got control of herself, and gave a meek nod, "Yea Dove," she croaked, "I'm fine."

"Everything alright?" came the doc's voice from the entrance

"Yea," Piper called, before anyone else could speak, "Just felt a little nauseous is all, I'm good now."

The doctor gave her a quizzical look, before nodding, "Well alright then, finish up now, towels will be waiting for you when you get out." She then walked back out of sight

The moment she was gone, Dove whirled toward Piper, "Piper, are you really okay?"

Piper took a breath, "No Dove, and I don't think any of us are going to be okay... in fact, I'm pretty sure the next few months are going to be the toughest of our lives, come what may." Her words were met with much despondence from everyone, and Piper saw a few on the brink of tears, then she spoke again. "But if we can just stay strong, stay ourselves, hold on, I know we'll be okay," this time, her words were met with a small glimmer of hope

"How can you be so sure of that!?" Dove hissed

Piper now gave a small smile, before bringing her hand to her heart, "I have faith, in a certain lieutenant, of the UNE."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, aboard Freelance Vessel Normandy_

Lark awoke to the sound of voices in a heated, if restrained argument

"Look I'm sorry alright; I didn't know what else to do." That was Jack

"Anything would have been better than pushing her further; you of all people should know Jack that biotics and tunnel vision don't mix well." And there was Shepard

There was no reply from Jack, however. "Will you two please quiet down; I don't want you disrupting my patient's recovery."

"A little late for that doc, she's woken up already," Jack commented

Lark soon found both Dr. Chakwas and Shepard taking up her field of vision, both with concerned looks on her faces. "Heh there Lark, you feeling alright?" Shepard asked

Lark moved to sit up, and felt pain flare instantly in the back of her head, she winced, but fought through it enough to sit up fully. "Feels like the back of my head got hit by a sledgehammer, but other than that, I think I'm okay," she replied

"There's a reason for the headache," Chakwas said, in a disapproving manner, while calling up a few holo-screens with a variety of data on them. "You're skull received a nasty crack against one of the crates down in the shuttle bay after you were blasted back, by the biotic detonation."

Lark frowned, "The last thing I remember is facing down Jack, the two of us pushing our biotics against one another."

Shepard and Chakwas glanced at one another, before turning back to Lark. "You don't remember using the biotic lightning to detonate the collision point?" Shepard asked

Lark's eyes widened, "Biotic lightning!?"

A chuckle came from the other side of the room. Lark glanced over to see Jack sitting on the edge of one of the beds, holding a heat pad over one shoulder. "Not even Shep and I can make biotic lightning, it's the one trick that's always eluded us. Also... for the record... sorry about what happened down there," Jack said, a sheepish look on her face as she glanced away

Lark noted Shepard give a small twitch of a smile out the corner of her eye. Then Lark looked down at her own hands, _biotic lightning, I used biotic lightning, only one person in human history has ever done that before... grandmother_. Lark looked back up at Shepard and Chakwas "Teach me."

Shepard's eyes widened, "Excuse me!?" Shepard exclaimed

"Train me in biotics, help me get stronger," Lark stated

"You're in no condition to be doing anything strenuous at this," Chakwas began, but was cut off as Lark climbed from the bed. "Young lady, get back on that bed this instant!"

Lark gave a slight wobble as she found her feet, but righted herself quickly, "I'm fine doc," she then turned to Shepard, "Now teach me."

Shepard now frowned, "First, are we forgetting, you agreed to follow _my_ orders while you're here, second, you likely have a concussion from that hit you suffered, so until Dr. Chakwas clears you for active duty, your place is on that bed." Lark was about to argue, until Shepard spoke again, "Third, Biotics like that are dangerous, there's a reason your grandmother didn't utilise the skill until well into her 50's, it takes a supreme amount of control and willpower to ensure that the power does not run away from you, like it almost did down in the shuttle bay.

Now Lark frowned, "That's why I want you to teach me, according to the crew, you're the most talented biotic on this crate, if anyone can teach me how to control this power, it's you."

"The princess isn't wrong Shep," Shepard turned to glare at Jack for that comment, which immediately shut her up

Then she turned back to Lark, before heaving a sigh. "Alright, fine, on two conditions," she began. Lark nodded, tense, "First, you get back in bed, and you only leave it when Chakwas says you can." Lark looked about to protest that, but Shepard beat her to the punch, "Second, you will have meditation classes with Thane, and only when he assures me you are fully focused and ready for how gruelling this training will be, will I start training you."

Lark mulled that over for several moments, before finally taking a deep breath, "Deal."

* * *

 _The Jagged Claw, July 7_ _th_ _, 8:30am_

After Piper and the others finished their showers, they were returned to the main room. Enclosed areas had been set up to allow for privacy, but that didn't make it any less degrading, particularly with Piper's new revelation. As she stepped into the enclosed area, she saw the Gorvan doctor from before waiting for her; it was only now, with the close proximity, that Piper noticed a slight bluish tint to her scales

She looked up and smiled as Piper entered, "Ah, Blue Bird, I was hoping I would get to see you."

"My name is Piper," Piper replied, her voice flat and emotionless

The doctor frowned, "No, it isn't, not anymore, and the sooner you accept that, the easier this is going to be."

"My indoctrination you mean," Piper quipped back, as she took her place in front of the doctor

"Yes," she replied, nodding sadly, "It's a barbaric practice if you ask me, but then, no one in the Hegemony has, and one does not refuse Lord Corvax and expect to get away with it."

Piper's eyes widened as comprehension dawned, "You're being forced to do this?"

The doctor chuckled, "Forced is a rather strong word... I was... _encouraged_ to accept an employment offer. And quite frankly, this job does offer me some control over the treatment of slaves, even if Lord Corvax has the final say."

 _So that scaled bastard really does hold all the power right now_

Piper's thoughts were broken as the doctor spoke again, "Alright, arms and wings up please, I want to check you haven't suffered any lingering injuries from the discipline Lord Corvax gave you."

Taking a breath, Piper did as she was told, raising first her wings, and then her arms away from her body, leaving her completely exposed. The doctor pulled up a small handheld device, which emitted a faint green light, before moving it in front of Piper, so that her chocolate skin was bathed in a green glow

"Nothing broken, that's good, no tissue damage either, good. How are you feeling right now, physically that is, still nauseous?"

"No, physically I'm fine... emotionally..." Piper trailed off, tears beginning to form in her eyes

The doctor gave an understanding nod, "It's hard, I know, and it's only going to get harder, but those who adapt best have the best chance of survival... who knows, you might even be able to make a life out of this."

Piper gave her an incredulous look, "Make a _life_ out of this!?"

The doctor put away her device, and began preparing a syringe. "It's not so bad, for those who are compliant, and due to the rarity of your species, Telani slaves are not sterilised, which allows for breeding programs." The doctor turned to look back at her, "You could end up starting a family, especially with a master like Lord Corvax, he prizes his Hunter Hawks like no other, and he doesn't always find new blood to replace lost hawks, so he breeds the best of the ones he does have."

Piper started at that, and then a thought entered her mind, "Has he bred Starling yet?"

The doctor paused in what she was doing and looked at her quizzically, "Starling," she mulled the name over for a second, before recognition dawned. "Ah, you must mean Red Hawk, no not yet, though I wouldn't put it past him, she is his best and he's unlikely to find another as talented as her." Piper let out an internal sigh of relief she didn't know she'd been holding, the thought of finding out she was an Aunt had worried her for a second. She was distracted enough that she didn't notice the doctor's approach till she was standing right next to her, holding the syringe in one hand while the other brought out the vein on her arm

"What are you doing?" Piper asked, tensing

"It's alright, it's just an immuno-booster, the crew goes through a health screening to prevent the transmission of any diseases that occur naturally on Bogaton. But you won't have that kind of protection on the planet itself, and we can't screen every last Gorvan," she explained. "This will kick-start your immune system to acclimatise itself to microbes you'll encounter on Bogaton, its standard protocol." Piper winced at the slight pricking sensation of the needle entering her arm, and watched as the doctor injected the clear fluid inside. "There, all done, that wasn't so bad was it?" as she spoke, the doctor took a small spray bottle, and sprayed it over where a bead of blood had welled up. It instantly turned into a small scab, which the doctor then swiped away, revealing new skin beneath

Piper stared in amazement at her arm for a couple moments, before looking up at the doctor, open mouthed. The doctor merely chuckled, "I told you, this job affords me a lot of control with regards to your treatment."

Piper now frowned, "Explain that," at the doctor's raised eyebrow, Piper added a meek "Please."

The doctor sighed, "You'll figure it out eventually, so I suppose it does no harm." She sat in her chair as she began to speak, "The short version is this, it takes a lot of money to operate, supply and crew a ship like this, and Lord Corvax has _five_ of them in this _one_ fleet. He has two smaller fleets, the first is comprised of three vessels, the other is comprised of just two, even so, that's a grand total of ten ships, which he has to pay for out of his own pocket."

"Food, water, medicine, fuel, ammunition, maintenance, repairs, upgrades, crew salary, he pays for the lot. So, naturally, he needs a sufficient enough income to offset these expenditures as well as make a profit, that's where you come in. Slaves are the most lucrative market in the Hegemony, and there's a _constant_ demand for them, hell, we're not even the only stellar empire that uses slaves, we're just one of the few willing to get our hands dirty to get them. People from across half the galaxy come to buy slaves from Bogaton's slave markets, and the Corvax family are the biggest dealer in slaves in the entire Hegemony."

"Of course, if the slaves are in poor condition, damaged or untrainable, then their value plummets and Repton loses money, that's where I come in. My job is to ensure that you and your fellow Telani reach the slave markets in as good a condition as possible. Now while yes, Lord Corvax has the final say on what to do with a certain slave, or group of slaves, my work ensures he's never too rough or cruel, he can't sell damaged slaves, at least, not for a profit.

"What does that mean?" Piper asked, eyebrow raised

The doctor sighed again, "It means, that there is one place that buys slaves no matter the condition, however, they do so at rock bottom prices, meaning that it's usually a last resort, especially with new slaves."

Piper felt a twinge of fear curl in her gut, she had a suspicion about what this place was, but she asked anyway, "And that is?"

"The slaughter house," those three words sent a cascade of ice down Piper's spine. The shock and horror must have shown on her face, because the doctor simply nodded as she continued. "Though sentience has giving us a taste for fruit and veg, at our core, we are still carnivores, and the Hegemony demands a constant supply of meat to keep everything running. The slaughter houses work non-stop, day in, day out, all through the night, just to keep up with demand, and livestock, both sentient and non-sentient are butchered there by the thousands, every, single, day."

Piper felt the bile rise up again, and began to double over, the doctor quickly passed her a small plastic bag, which she proceeded to hurl the contents of her stomach into. The doctor waited patiently for her to finish. Once she was done, Piper tossed the now foul smelling bag into the nearby bin, and took a few deep calming breaths

She was finally shaken from her pseudo-meditation by the doctor's voice, "Of course, that's unlikely to happen to you, unless you _really_ piss Lord Corvax off." As she spoke, she indicated the yellow tag attached to her wing

Piper glanced at the tag, for once, feeling relieved that it was there, then, she gave a defeated sigh, and looked up at the doctor. "Like you said, comply, and this is a walk in the park. Defy, and you end up as lunch."

The doctor nodded sadly, "Good, you're getting it, keep that in mind as you wait for that human friend of yours."

Piper blinked, momentary panic overcoming her, before she got control back, "I don't know what you're talking about."

The doctor chuckled, "Lord Corvax may have missed it, but I didn't dear." As she spoke, she leaned forward, and with the pointer she was holding, lifted the hair on the right side of Piper's head away, revealing the Focus. Piper's heart was pounding in her chest as she tried to figure a way out of this, the doctor's voice cut across her thoughts however. "I hope she comes for you, I've watched so many little birds like you get swallowed up by the monster that is the Gorvan Slave Trade. To know that even _one_ might get away, might make it home..." the doctor trailed off as she gave a happy sigh

Piper now looked up at her nervously, "You're _not_ going to report this?"

Now the doctor full on laughed, "And watch Repton kill you for having it, would kind of undo the purpose of my work now wouldn't it." She smiled as she spoke, before giving Piper a serious look, "Keep it safe, keep it secret."

Piper nodded, "I will, and thank you."

After that, Piper was dismissed. Outside the enclosed area she'd been in, there was a dressing area, where the doctor's assistants were handing out fresh clothes. They were of different design to what Piper and the others were used to, but they fit well, and were warm, so no one complained. As they waited for the doctor and her other assistants to finish the rest of the checkups, Piper thought over everything she'd learned

 _This is going to be an uphill battle all the way, please hurry Lark_

* * *

 _City of Atmosia, Skyknight Command, July 7_ _th_ _, 9:00am_

No one spoke as the holo-recording ended, the feeling of the entire room was just sheer numbness. From his seat at his desk, Lightning stared, unseeing at the air where the holo-projection had been.

 _Creatures called Gorvans, other races, other_ _ **worlds**_ _, an entire galaxy filled with life, and we've been blind to it this whole time. And one of those races had decided to make slaves out of our people, out of our_ _ **children**_ _. How dare they,_ _ **how DARE they**_

In that moment, Lightning was consumed by a mixture of anger and frustration; he wanted nothing more than to find this _'Lord Corvax'_ , and beat him bloody. His wings shook with the barely restrained rage and he could see that old Wren was not faring much better

Finally, Ren broke the silence, "You two feel like hitting something as well?"

Lightning took a deep calming, cleansing breath, and his wings finally stopped shaking, old Wren simply left the room, saying he'd be back shortly. After he left, Lightning turned to his friend, "I can see why you didn't tell anyone you had this, it changes so much... when the people learn this, it's going to cause mass mayhem."

Ren nodded, "We can't keep it a secret forever though."

Lightning didn't bother replying to that, he knew Ren was right, and that only made the situation worse. Eventually, they'd have to tell the Atmosian Council, and then it was up to them, whether or not to make the information public. Suddenly, Lightning's desk phone rang; he hit the speaker button, "Yes?"

"Commander, I've completed my CT scan of Lieutenants Rex and Kite, its best you come see for yourself," came the doctor's voice

Lightning glanced up at Ren, who gave only a grim nod, "We'll be right down doc."

Ten minutes later, they were standing in the office of Skyknight Command's head physician, looking at CT images of two of their most promising, up and coming Skyknights. The doctor tapped Kite's CT scan first

"Good news to start, the pain Kite is feeling is a minor cranial swelling; I've put her on a regimen of drugs which should reduce it within the next few weeks. Other than that, she's fine, shouldn't suffer any memory loss or lingering damage," Lightning and Ren both breathed a sigh of relief at that news. "Lieutenant Rex however is a different story. Honestly I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him to start with, but I'm glad we followed your instructions to keep him sedated and restrained."

"Why?" Lightning asked

"During one of the periods where he was only partial under, one of the nurses brought me an update on Kite, just mentioning her name caused Harrier to go crazy, struggling in his bonds, trying to break loose. We put him fully under again, but the episode gave me a theory." The doctor pulled down Kite's CT scans, and he put up an additional one of Harrier in its place. "I focused on the cranium but couldn't find anything," he indicated the first scan, "But after the small incident we had, I waited till he was at least partially lucid again, before putting him back in. With some Skyknights on hand, I began discussing Lieutenant Kite's recovery with my staff... the results were... _terrifying_."

The doctor pulled up another CT scan of Harrier's, unlike the others, which showed a normal brain, with standard temperature and activity, this one was different. Even though neither of them were doctors, both Lightning and Ren could see the stark difference between the two. Highlighted areas of the brain showed where the temperature had skyrocketed, not only that, but there was, _something_ , nestled in the frontal lobe

The doctor continued, "As you can see, both the frontal and parietal lobe were both changed drastically, we performed an electroencephalogram while also mentioning Kite's recovery. The data was as we expected from these temperature readings. Massively increased electrical activity within these sections of the brain, which would explain a lot about what happened when he tried to kill Kite."

"That can't explain his behaviour though," Lightning stated, "A mere increase in brain activity couldn't cause him to go nuts like that, I looked into his eyes doc, it was like he was dead inside already."

"That, is what I believe _this_ is for," The doctor said, indicating the object in Harrier's frontal lobe. It was small, only about an inch or two in length, but it was nestled pretty much dead centre of the lobe

"What is it?" Ren asked

"A tumour, as far as I can tell, but it is unlike any tumour I have ever encountered. It's benign so there's no danger to his physical health. Unfortunately, that's all we've been able to learn about it. I've theorized that, because of its location, it is affecting his behaviour in some way, but I currently don't know how. All I do know is it causes the response we get from him, whenever Kite is near, or is mentioned."

Lightning stared at the tumour, then glanced in Ren's direction, _the Gorvans, it had to be them, they'd done something to Harrier, altered his mind somehow, to make him kill Kite, and prevent her from revealing what she'd seen_

He turned back to the doctor, "Can you remove it?"

The doctor was silent for a few moments, before replying, "I'm hesitant to do so when I don't know what it does, removing it could kill him."

"Then keep working doc, find out for sure what that thing does, and if you can remove it, do so. In the meantime, keep Lieutenant Rex sedated and under guard, and ensure that Lieutenant Kite is as far away from him as possible."

The doctor nodded, "Yes Commander, understood."

Lightning and Ren then turned to leave, before a voice came over the intercom, "Commander, a call just came from the Atmosian Council, they've requested to see you."

Lightning went to the office's intercom caller on the wall, "Tell them I'm on my way."

"No rest for the wicked," Ren mumbled, following Lightning out

* * *

 _The Jagged Claw, July 7_ _th_ _, 10:00am_

Dove fell back into the bed she'd been assigned, across from her was Piper's own bed, and on the opposite side of the small room were two more, where two of the other girls had been put. Like Piper and Dove, they had yellow tags as well. It was cramped, and bare minimum, but compared to the cages, it was luxury

"So, we're being conditioned, like animals?" she asked

Piper nodded, "That's my theory, I suspect there's more to it than that, but... it makes sense that this would be how it starts."

"We behave and do as they say, we get rewarded, like good little pets do. We misbehave, we break the rules, and it's the cages, or a shock," Dove stated despondently

"You don't know the half of it."

All four of the room's occupants looked up to see Starling standing in the doorway

Piper turned to her fully, Dove sat up, while the other two backed away from her. "What's that supposed to mean?" Piper asked

Starling gave a humourless chuckle, "The Gorvans have a multitude of methods for making our lives miserable, give them an excuse and most will do it too, they enjoy it."

Piper noticed the small whimper come from the other two girls, before focussing on Starling again, "You could still help us escape Starling, just tell us where the shuttles are and how to get to them, nobody else has to know."

Starling sighed, "It's 'Red Hawk', and trying to escape would be even more inadvisable now than it was before."

"How so?" Dove asked

"They gave you your inoculations, right?" Starling replied. The look that came across their faces was answer enough. "They weren't lying about the immuno-boosters, but laced in with them is a tiny microscopic chip, that finds its way to the brain stem, and attaches itself there. It doesn't do much, but it can track you, eventually it'll get broken down by your body, but until then, it suffices to keep you in line. There are Gorvans sitting in specially made rooms right now, tracking the movement of every Telani aboard this ship. If you leave the slave decks – where we are now – they'll notify one of the roving patrols, and lead them right to you. At best, you get a swift but short beating, before being dragged back to the cells, at worst, they'll shock you, and then drag you before Master Repton, who will devise a suitable punishment for you."

Shocked silence filled the room, and Piper had to fight the sudden urge to rub the back of her neck. "S-so... t-this is... really happening... there's no escape," one of the other girls said

Starling shook her head, "No, and the sooner you accept this fate the better off you'll be, trust me."

Piper now felt a stab of anger at Starling's words, "So you want us to what... just give up!? Roll over for them and do some tricks, like serving them wine and food on a silver platter!"

"If you try to fight, you'll only end up hurting yourself and others around you Blue Bird," Starling began, but was cut off by Piper

"THAT IS _NOT_ MY NAME, ITS _PIPER_ , AND YOURS IS _STARLING_ , A PROUD SKYKNIGHT CADET OF ATMOSIA, DEFENDER OF ATMOS!"

Starling gazed at Piper for several moments, before sighing, her whole body seeming to slump, even her wings lowered slightly. "Pi-Blue Bird... I fought, to the very end... I was the last of Repton's chosen to keep fighting... I watched them fall, one by one... too tired, too hungry, too thirsty, to carry on. I watched their _will_ to resist get _beaten_ out of them... and what's worse... _I_ was the one who told them to resist... and Master Repton knew that... I didn't know it at the time, but he deliberately went easy on me – well, _easier_ – so that I could watch them fall. He knew how it would affect me. Black Hawk... was the last to go before me... he refused to lose... and then he lost everything. And I was forced to watch... and even then... Master Repton kept me on the precipice... he made me watch what the others became... and that was how he finally broke me... fear."

Starling looked away from them, and gazed at nothing. "I saw what happened to them... I saw the souls get sucked right out of them... till there was nothing left... but a tool for Master Repton... and I was afraid... I'd end up just like them. Master Repton used that fear, he stoked it, and then he found a new target for it... Atmos." Starling now looked back up at them, "He told me that defiance would bring harm to my world, to my people, to my... family. And I just... couldn't keep fighting... the fear overwhelmed me... in a single moment, I saw hundreds, no, _thousands_ of our people in chains... with you, mom, and dad among them. I broke... I couldn't take the fear... the terror, that had seized my heart... and so I knelt, I pledged my loyalty, and I expected to be fully indoctrinated like the others. Instead, he kept me as I was, told me that so long as I remained loyal to him, my family would be safe."

Piper stared at Starling in shock, Dove wasn't looking much better beside her, and the other two girls were on the verge of tears

Finally, Starling spoke again, "That is the fate that awaits those who are defiant... please Blue Bird... please don't make my mistake... I don't think... I could cope, seeing you go through what I did."

Piper didn't speak for several moments, as everyone stared at her. Finally though, she hardened her resolve, and drew herself up to her full height. "I refuse to surrender my freedom to that yellow-bellied lizard!" she snapped, before turning back to her bunk and laying down, with her back to them all, wings formed into a wall to keep them away. As Piper stared at the wall, she heard Starling give Dove a quiet goodbye, before leaving. After that, Dove and the other girls returned to their bunks, and shortly after that, Piper heard the rhythmic sounds of sleep come from all three

She felt fatigue creeping up on her, even though she'd only been awake for a few hours at most, those few hours suddenly felt like weeks, and truthfully, she hadn't slept well, if at all in the cage. Before sleep could close around her, she fingered the Focus, hidden beneath her hair. _It won't be the same as last time sister... this time we have someone watching out for us... someone who's coming to help us... this time,_ _ **will**_ _be different_

And with those final thoughts, sleep beckoned

* * *

 **And that's a wrap**

 **Hope you guys liked, if you want to see more, let me know in your reviews, and as always, constructive criticism is welcome**

 **Have a great day all and I shall see you in the next upload for 'Storm and the Hawk'**


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, this story exists purely cause I want it to, Additionally, credit to cover image goes to Mythorie over on Deviant Art, your awesome mate**

 **THIS CHAPTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NOSTALGIA (music for 'Friend Like Me' from Diseny's Aladdin begins playing, while Stomhawk fan comes dancing in from stage right)**

 **Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves**

 **Scheherezad-ie had a thousand tales**

 **But Dear Readers you in luck**

 **'cause up your sleeves**

 **you got a brand of magic never fails**

 **You got some power in your corner now**

 **Some heavy ammunition in your camp**

 **You got some punch, pizzazz, yahoo and how**

 **See all you gotta do is write that review**

A **nd I'll say**

 **Mr Dear Reader sir (or ma'am)**

W **hat will your pleasure be?**

 **Let take your order**

 **Jot it down**

 **You ain't never had an Author like ME!**

 **(Music ends)**

 **Hello all and welcome back, it's been a while hasn't it, and as I'm sure you can tell from that intro, I'm a very big Genie fan (pulls off top hat), Rest in Peace Robin, you shall always be the greatest in our eyes. So WHY do I have Genie on the brain... well it has to do with the trouble I was having getting the chapter started, it just did NOT want to get written... but then, I got a particular review, from...**

 **CHRISGUINE: First of all thank you very much for your review, and I have good news for you (clears throat) 'YOUR WISH, IS MY COMMAND!' Yea when I read your review I was suddenly smacked in the face with a thunderbolt of inspiration, and I knew EXACTLY how this chapter was going to go. So a really big thank you to Chris, let's find him/her in the audience please (spotlights begin travelling over the seats till Chris is found) THERE HE/SHE IS, a round of applause everyone, for Chris**

 **I also want to take this time to thank 'VeraWinterRose' for their review, as well as our two guests and Rookk as well, if they are still around. I do so hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far, and I do hope you continue to enjoy it**

 **Now, it's time for me to start banging my head against the wall, as while this IS a sci-fi story... I still like to be as accurate as I can, and I discovered while writing this, that I may have written myself into a corner. I'm sure the smart cookies among you have already figured it out, but for those who are confused, I'll elaborate... three words... SPACE IS BIG!**

 **So remember back in chapters two and three where I detailed that it would take the 5 Gorvan slave ships 7 days to reach Atmosia from the edge of the system, yea, go back and count how many days it's been since chapter 3. WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH THIS ALREADY, AND THE GORVAN SHIPS AIN'T EVEN LEFT THE EGGELLEN PRIME SYSTEM YET!**

 **So yea, I had some fun doing space travel calculations, and let's just say... we're going to be having some big time jumps in both this chapter and the next to make up for lost time as it were**

 **But I have fixed that, taking into account things like acceleration, deceleration etc, be sure to take the travel time with a grain of Sci-Fi salt, but rest assured, I've done my best to make it plausible. Also doing a slight revision of my stance on Mass Relays, in which basically, the Stellaris gateways, now function in the same basic manner, being essential accelerators for ships to cut down on travel time. However, without a receiving gateway, it is very risky and courses must be plotted with the upmost care**

 **And I think that's everything... oh no wait... one of our guests asked me a question in their review, my answer is the same one I gave Rookk, I wasn't planning on it, certainly not for this book, but if there's enough enthusiasm, then maybe in a future sequel. But now, without further ado**

 **WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS THEMES OF DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, AND SLAVERY, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO VIEW THESE, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR PREVIOUS PAGE**

 **Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Dear Readers all, welcome back to... Stellaris, Book 1: The Fledging**

 _ **Blurb:**_

 **On the planet of Atmos, the Telani people prepare for their annual tradition known as the Fledging, a journey undertaken by Telani about to enter adulthood. On this journey we follow a group of young Telani – Piper, Aerrow, Finn and their older peer, Dove – excited to begin their Fledging. However, unbeknownst to them, they have an unexpected guest, a Human, called Lark Cyclonis, secretly visiting their planet, studying their people and culture**

 **Together they depart on the Fledging, all the while unaware of the shadow that looms over Atmos, and is due to strike again. When it does, the youngsters are flung into a Galaxy of danger, meeting new people, both friends, and enemies, and reuniting with long lost loved ones. The young Telani of Atmos are about to find out, that their world is so much bigger than they could have possibly imagined**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: A Risky Plan**

 _City of Atmosia, Council Chambers, July 7th, 12:00pm_

The Atmosian Council – governing body for the city and clan – sat in numb silence after hearing Commander Lightning Strike's report. Of the eight members of the Council, three were not much older than Lightning or Ren themselves, and at least two of them had kids whom had gone on this year's Fledging. One of them, a woman named Tia, broke down in tears, finally breaking the silence, the knowledge that their children were out of their reach, and that this had been happening _every_ Fledging was simply too much. Of the remaining five members, they were all grandparents by this stage, but that didn't mean they didn't have family who'd survived this Fledging unscathed. It was a shock to all, more still that there were other alien races besides these _Gorvans_

Finally, the head of the Council, a man named Zachery, spoke, "This, _other_ alien… this, _Human_ , you believe she fights against these _Gorvans_?"

"She risked her own life to defend our children, so if you're asking whether or not we trust her, then the answer is, yes, we do," Lightning responded, with Ren nodding beside him

"She ultimately failed though," another councillor pointed out

"Because she did not have all of the necessary information, and was forced to back down, or risk bringing harm to the worlds of _her_ people," Ren countered, "Possibly countless numbers of innocents would have died for a single group of two hundred of ours, even if they _were_ our children."

Lightning nodded in agreement, "The price she would have had to pay was too high. Her own life meant nothing to her, if it meant saving hundreds of others. And from the speech she gave, it seems all Human soldiers are encouraged to prioritize civilian lives over their own."

"Much like our own Skyknights," commented another councillor

"Exactly," Lightning concurred, "But when she learned that her actions would put other innocents at risk, she backed down, and from what we discerned from the conversation, if would seem this _Lark_ could have ignited a war if she hadn't done so."

"A war, which we'd be caught in the middle of, councillors," Ren added

The members of the Council turned to one another – all except Tia – and began quietly talking amongst themselves. Finally, they all turned back, and Councillor Zachery addressed them once more. "Is there anything more that can be done, anything more we can do?" he asked

Lightning and Ren glanced at one another, Ren gave a nod, before Lightning sighed and turned back, "Ren would like permission to search the area surrounding the city, he believes that Lark may have had a hidden base somewhere on Atmos, from which she infiltrated the Fledging."

"I believe if we find this base, we could learn a great deal about their technology, which seems to be a few centuries ahead of ours, if not further," Ren explained

"And how exactly would this help," Tia asked tearfully, surprising everyone there

Ren gave her a pitying look, knowing full well the pain she was going through, "Even _if_ Lark is successful and returns our children to us, there's no guarantee that the Gorvans will not just come back to exact some form of retribution." Ren took a breath before voicing his next words, "And if she fails, the Gorvans will _still_ come back, four years from now… no matter what happens, we _need_ to be ready for when they do."

Something changed in Tia's eyes as Ren voiced his response, her eyes hardened and grew colder, before finally, she straightened up, "I approve."

Her words were met with shock amongst the other Council members, "Tia," Zachery began, "Let's not be hasty, we haven't even considered the consequences," but Tia cut him off

"I need _NO_ time for consideration, and if you _Chickens_ are too frightened of the consequences, then I will provide all necessary funds the Commander and his captain need!" Tia roared back, standing, before turning her steely gaze on the two military men, who both instantly snapped to attention. They had _both_ been her subordinates only a decade ago, after all

The other Council members stared at Tia in shock, never had a single member went against the ruling of the entire Council, not since the days of the Clan Wars, over three centuries ago. All heads turned to Zachery, who looked between Tia and the two Skyknights, before finally heaving a sigh, "Could the search be conducted quietly, Commander?"

Lightning glanced, first at Ren, then to Tia, before finally settling back on Zachery, "Not if we want to find any possible base quickly, and we have to take in the assumption, that it may be camouflaged in some way, or even under ground."

"Which will mean heavy duty equipment, not something you can really keep quiet," Ren added

Mutters ran through the gathered Council members, before Zachery silenced it with a wave of his hand. "In that case, if we were to approve of this plan, the people would have to be told, if not immediately, then at least in time… the press won't stay silent forever while Skyknights tear through the countryside surrounding the city."

Lightning took another breath, "Might I suggest that we not tell them the entire story, at least until we've completed the search, as it will likely take a lot of manpower to complete."

"The Commander is right, when this news gets out, the other clans are going to be up in arms," another councillor stated

Zachery heaved a heavy sigh, "This month is going to be a wearisome one."

At this, Tia's expression softened, "Agreed, and seeing as my position is forcing the Council's hand here, I'll take the brunt."

Another look of collective shock was cast in Tia's direction, but it was stymied by Zachery's next words. "Very well then," he said, before looking round at his fellow councillors, "All in favour?"

* * *

 _Freelance Vessel Normandy, July 7_ _th_ _, 09:00pm_

Lark sat stone still as Chakwas scanned her, the air was tense as Lark awaited the doctor's prognosis. Over in a corner, Thane sat in meditation, the picture of patience

Finally, Chakwas spoke, "Look here," she ordered, holding up one finger and moving it across Lark's vision. Lark followed the finger, her vision only swimming slightly as she tried to focus on it, Chakwas then repeated the exercise, with the only difference being to start at head height, before moving down. Once again Lark tracked the motion, a small throbbing forming in the back of her skull

Afterwards Chakwas consulted her charts, leaving Lark in tense silence again, before finally sighing and putting away the equipment. "Sometimes I do hate how much biotics throw off good medical predictions," she said brining her finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose. Over in his corner, Thane opened his eyes and glanced in their direction, Lark continued to maintain her silent vigil, not wanting to ruin her chances by saying something Chakwas wouldn't like

Chakwas took a deep breath, "You're confined to the crew deck, and I want you spending at least tonight here in the med-bay."

Lark could barely contain her excitement, and she was sure it was evident on her face. Thane then spoke up, "Her resilience continues to impress."

Chakwas gave a dry laugh, "I suppose… still, _nothing_ strenuous, understood young lady."

Lark gave a nod and a smile, "Yes ma'am."

With that, Chakwas waved her off. Lark carefully climbed from the medical bed, with only a slight bout of dizziness as she got to her feet. Not for the first time in her life, she gave thanks to her biotics, several hours sleep and the meds Chakwas had her on, and she was worlds better than she had been while negotiating with Shepard. Still not quite fully recovered but recovered enough to start on the meditation lessons with Thane, who was now standing and waiting by the door. Lark joined him, following him out of the med-bay and towards life-support, where Thane had set up his quarters

Lark had been wondering about that ever since she found out, "Heh Thane, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Did you not just do so?" Thane replied, a small smirk stretching his lips as he led her inside

Lark gave him a small frown in return, to which Thane just chuckled, before nodding. Lark pushed forward, "Why do you bunk here… I mean, I know Garrus bunks in the same room as the _Normandy's_ main gun, but he's the best weapons expert on this ship, so that makes sense. Liara has her own room, but considering her job as an information broker, she needs space for her equipment, as well as personal space. In the meantime, everyone else – besides Shepard – makes use of the crew quarters… except you?"

Thane gave her an appraising look, before gesturing to the table, which Lark now noticed had a pot of tea and two cups sitting on it. "Please sit down and I will explain," he said

Lark did just that, waiting patiently as Thane poured them both a cup of tea, from the colour and scent, Lark guessed it was Oolong. Once the tea was poured, Thane sat across from her, before bringing his hands together. "Mother Arashu, we thank you for this tea, may it help to clear our thoughts and hone our minds, for our coming trails," he intoned. Lark was tempted to say that Traynor had delivered the tea but thought better of it. "You do not pray?" Thane asked, as he picked up his cup

"I've never been the religious type," Lark began, at Thane's sceptical look she continued, "It's not really anything big it's just…" Lark trailed off as old memories stirred

"Just what?" Thane inquired, putting down his cup

Lark sighed, "I've never liked the concept of destiny or fate… I don't like the idea that there's some supernatural power scripting out our lives and that we have no say in the matter."

A small smirk pulled at Thane's lips, "I suppose I can understand the concern there… not being in control of one's fate can be a very terrifying thing to face."

Lark nodded, before taking a breath and giving Thane her full attention, "So… about my question?"

"Ah yes," Thane said, smiling, "Why do I choose to bunk in Life-support." Lark nodded, "Frankly, it is because of my condition."

Lark quirked a brow, "Condition?"

"Yes, I suffer from a disease known as Kepral's Syndrome," Thane explained

Lark's eyes went wide, "Oh my… I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

Thane cut her off with a raised hand, "It's quite alright… I'm at peace with the situation, and it isn't something I like to have spread around too much… but seeing as we are to be training and working together… it is only right that you should know."

Lark nodded, "That explains the religion thing I guess, trying to live a pious life and all that."

Thane chuckled, "It's not the entire reason, but yes… in recent times, I have been trying to make up for past mistakes."

Lark nodded, then another question popped into her head, "Erm, do you know… I mean, if it's okay?"

"How long do I have?" Thane pre-empted her, Lark nodded. "More than enough time, that I do not need to worry about my combat prowess, staying active and living in dry environments help slow the diseases' progress."

The final piece fell into place, "Hence the living quarters here in Life-support," Lark stated

Thane nodded, "Exactly," he took another sip of tea, and this time, Lark joined him. "Now then," Thane declared once they'd put down their cups, "Shepard tells me you wish to grow stronger in biotics?"

Lark nodded, "That's right, my grandmother is the only human in history who's been able to create biotic lightning, and she needed decades of training and practice to get that far."

"And why exactly do you wish to master this power, and at such a young age?" Thane asked

Lark opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped, something in the way Thane had asked the question held her back. "I'm not after power, if that's what you're thinking," she replied

"Aren't you… from what I've heard, you're still pretty sore about losing to Repton," Thane countered

"What gave you that impression?"

"Your very presence here," Thane replied, Lark stiffened at his words. "You failed on Atmos, you lost to Repton, were forced to abandon you're friends… and when the Council told you to let it go, you turned instead to a freelance mercenary company, and raced after, probably one of the most dangerous individuals in the galaxy." Thane's words caused a chill to settle in Lark's bones, "As far as I can see, you're just a child who can't accept she was beaten, and now wants to break the rules in order to spite the one who beat her… how am I doing?"

The slam shocked Lark to her senses, but it took her a moment to register where it came from, until she felt the dull ache in her right hand. She glanced down at the table to find her right hand, balled into a fist and shaking against the table, where she'd just slammed it. The force had knocked over her teacup as well, spilling the aromatic liquid over the table. Thane skilfully caught the spillage with a napkin before it went over the edge

As Thane cleared up the spillage and righted her cup, Lark looked anywhere but at him, "Sorry," she said, meekly

"As am I," Thane stated, causing Lark to finally look up at him, surprise written across her face. "While what I said before _is_ valid… it is also not the entire reason that you are here," Thane explained. "You wish to save you're friends from a lifetime of suffering, you wish to help an entire people throw off the chains of oppression… in short, you wish to be as you're grandmother was… noble, selfless, an explorer and pioneer, a hero and liberator."

"No," Lark answered quietly

Thane looked up at Lark, to see her eyes had returned to the table, "Oh?"

"This isn't about glory or recognition… I made Piper a promise… that's all… I made her a promise, that I'd come for her… the rules forced me to abandon her… to turn my back and just forget about her… but I couldn't do it… I just… _couldn't_."

Thane studied Lark and saw the pain in her eyes as memories played just behind them. Then a small smile tugged at his lips, Lark noticed, "What?"

"Nothing," Thane replied, "That was simply not the answer I was expecting." Lark tilted her head in confusion, but said nothing of it, then Thane continued. "So, you wish to learn this power in order to keep you're promise to your _friend_?"

The way Thane said friend struck Lark as, _odd_ , but she didn't dwell on it and nodded, "They needed me, and I abandoned them… I owe them."

Thane nodded, "Good, then you have passed my first requirement for completing your training with me."

Lark blinked, taken aback, "I'm sorry?"

Thane smiled "One does not hand a weapon to one who does not know how to properly use it, much less a child who runs the risk of killing themselves with it. It is also inadvisable to grant power to those who would misuse it, too many times in the history of the galaxy has such a thing been the downfall of whole civilisations." Lark's eyes widened in comprehension as Thane continued, "Now that I know you're motives, and you're feelings on the matter, I know that it is safe to teach you what you will need to learn, in order to use the power you seek. For your heart is pure, and though you still harbour much anger and resentment over what happened on Atmos, that is not what drives you."

Lark felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest at his words, the rest of the meeting simply involved Thane asking her questions about her current biotic and physical capabilities. They then finished off with a short meditation session at the end, to get Lark in the groove for it, before parting company. As Lark made her way back to the med-bay, she dropped by the kitchen to return the now empty tea pot and cups

* * *

 _Atmos, 4 years ago_

Starling exulted with the crowd around her, finally the day was here, the day of her Fledging, sure this year was 4 years after the last vanished Fledging, but that did not mean it would be the same this year. Like many, she held out hope that this year, nothing would happen. As the crowd exulted once more, Starling's eyes found her family, she saw her mom, dad and little sister, all three were waving, she waved back, a broad smile on her face. Her parents had been concerned, but Starling's strong will had won out in the end, she would not be deterred, she was on the path to become the best Skyknight in all Atmos, and that meant completing her Fledging. She also found Dove in the crowd, standing next to her grandfather. Dove had wanted to go this year, had been determined to join Starling, but her grandfather had convinced her to wait till next year, he hadn't wanted to risk losing Dove, she was all he had left after her parents had passed

The crowd gave another exultation, and then, Telani began launching themselves into the air, Starling cast one last look of farewell to her family and Dove, before following them, her brilliant and shinning purple wings lifting her upwards. The feeling of wind rushing through her purple locks claimed her, she closed her eyes in bliss, relying on sensing the air currents around her to avoid mid-air collisions. She rose higher and higher, feeling the air grow thinner and thinner, before finally letting gravity take her again, and falling back towards the ground. As she did though, a new sensation came over her, the feeling of being _pushed_

Suddenly, she felt liquid surround her head, the cold smack of freezing water jolting her eyes open, she struggled, but something held her down. She tried to dislodge whatever it was with her arms or wings, but to her horror, discovered they'd been bound. She screamed into the water, even though she knew it would only cause her to drown faster. Then her head was suddenly yanked upwards, out of the water, and she was tossed, soaked and coughing onto a hard-stone floor… no, not stone, concrete, and above her head were powerful strip lights, blinding her still bleary unfocussed eyes. A figure suddenly blocked out most of the light, she couldn't discern details, but whoever they were, they were big, their frame bulging with muscle, looming over her

She gazed blearily up, before a cry drew her gaze elsewhere, she saw Alica, wings bound, and suspended from the ceiling of the room, she wore strange clothing that Starling had never seen before, as a scaled _monster_ beat her. His fists landed blow after blow to her, and occasionally, he would pick up a baton and smack her with that too. More cries drew Starling's gaze, and her eyes began to move round the room. She saw her friends, bound and restrained, being tortured by massive scaled monsters, with razor sharp teeth, and cold yellow eyes, broken down the middle by slits that were as black as night

Suddenly, her head was yanked upwards as something grabbed her hair, and she was brought face to face with another monster, his scaly hide a dark green, while his underside, stretching from his chin downward was light grey. His eyes held a malice that caused Starling to whimper as he brought her face close to his. _"There's no use fighting me my dear, there is no escape, no rescue to save you, you have only one option…_ _ **kneel**_ _."_

Starling felt a chill run down her spine at his words, but even as terror gripped her, something else stirred. Gathering up what moisture was available in her mouth, she spat at her tormentor, the scaled monster flinched, but then turned slowly back to her, anger burning in his gaze. _"So be it!"_

The monster turned, dragging Starling round with him, and shoved her head back down into the large tank of ice-cold water. Starling braced herself as the water rushed up to meet her, praying to the spirits, to anyone, to come and save her

* * *

 _The Jagged Claw, present day, July 8_ _th_ _, 03:00am_

Starling woke with a start, drenched in sweat, her chest heaving as she desperately drew air into her lungs. As she looked around her quarters, reaffirming to herself that she was _not_ currently suffering the horrors of indoctrination, she felt her shoulders and wings begin to shake. She held the feelings in for as long as possible, but finally, lost the battle, and broke down in tears

Four years, four years ago she'd been in her sister's position, four years ago, she'd been tortured daily, forced to watch her friends be tortured. She curled up, wings wrapping around her, but even they were a reminder now of what she'd suffered. The constant stress and anxiety she'd been under had steadily caused her wings to lose their purple hue, becoming as red as blood, and every day that it had progressed had been simply another reminder that she was no longer the person she was before the Fledging. She wasn't Starling anymore, she was Red Hawk, she belonged to Lord Repton, his word was law, and to disobey…

Suddenly, the memory of her family at the start of her Fledging came back, standing on the edge of the crowd, their smiling faces. Images of them in chains once again rose in her mind, an Atmosia, burned and levelled. As the images played, she thought of her family

 _I miss them… mom and dad… their all alone now… both me and Pi-Blue Bird have been taken… what will they do… will they try to find us?_

The thoughts swirled round and round her head, longing and fear mixing as they so often had in the last four years. Then a new memory surfaced, she was back in the quarry, she had just dumped her best friend at Lord Repton's feet before noticing the wingless, smooth-skinned newcomer. She was standing between Repton and the other Telani, _including_ Starling's sister, a Thermal Detonator in one hand, the other maintaining a biotic barrier to protect the Telani behind her. Starling remembered the fire that blazed in the eyes of this newcomer, this _human_ , she recognised the fire, it was the same fire that had burned inside herself, during her indoctrination.

Starling stared at the bulkhead above her

 _There's no way… is there… she couldn't possibly hope to prevail… she'd just end up getting captured and enslaved herself… but… that_ _ **fire**_ _… that_ _ **drive**_ _… she was willing to give her life for my sister and her friends… willing to sacrifice her life for people who weren't even the same_ _ **species**_ _as her…_

The more Starling thought about it, the more convinced she became that this human, called 'Lark', would not give up, she'd come for Blue Bird and her friends

 _I should report this to Lord Repton… no… he probably already knows, there's no point… but then again… there could be a real risk she succeeds… especially if she gets help…_

…

… _but would that necessarily be a_ _ **bad**_ _thing?_

* * *

 _City of Atmosia, Skyknight Command, July 8_ _th_ _, 10:00am_

The gathered Skyknights stood in the main hall of the command building, all chattering with one another. Off to one side, sat Kite, while she wouldn't be joining the others immediately, she had insisted she join them should the doctor release her from the infirmary while the mission was still ongoing. So, like the others, she was now awaiting the briefing, never had Kite seen so many Skyknights in one place. Usually teams of Skyknights would be active over all Atmos, keeping the peace and protecting Telani from danger. Now though, every team had been recalled, for a mission of the upmost importance, and no one had a single clue as to what the mission was, except for Kite, she had an idea, and she was _eager_ for it.

Another Skyknight sauntered up to her, he was from the same training group as herself and Harrier, and they'd known each other for years, so Kite was pretty sure what his question would be before he even opened his mouth

"No, I don't know what's going on, and even if I did, I wouldn't be allowed to tell you."

The Skyknight faltered slightly before a dejected look came over him, "Geez Kite do ya gotta shoot a guy down so hard?"

Kite gave him a friendly smile, "Hi Cradrin, good to see you too."

Cradrin returned the smile, "I think that's supposed to be my line, we almost lost you after all."

Kite flourished her wings, "Well you can stop worrying cause I'm very much alive, and once I get over this concussion, I'll be good to go."

Cradrin chuckled, "I don't doubt it," then his face turned solemn, "Is it true, Harrier tried to _kill_ you?"

Kite felt a chill run down her spine at the memory, she technically wasn't allowed to talk about that event, but everyone knew anyway, the whole thing was all over the base. "I can't give you details – orders and all – but yes, he did."

Cradrin swore, running a hand through his dark brown locks as his wings shifted behind him, "We trained with the guy, we were best friends for years, hell he…." Cradrin trailed off at the dejected and defeated look on Kite's face. "Do his folks know?"

Kite shook her head, "Lightning's ordered an information blackout on the whole thing, can't stop people asking questions, but everyone who has any details of the event has been sworn to secrecy."

"That's gotta be driving them up the wall, what about Harrier himself, where is he?"

"Medically induced coma, and the Doc is keeping him that way till we can figure the situation out."

Cradrin swore again, before their attention was drawn – along with every other Skyknight in the hall – to the front of the room, where Tia Angevin, dressed in full military garb, strode out onto the stage, flanked by Commander Lightning Strike and Captain Ren Peregrine. The muttering began again momentarily at the sight of Tia

"Didn't she retire to a Council seat ten years ago?" Cradrin hissed

Kite nodded but did not speak as Tia stepped up to the podium at the centre of the stage, while a projector screen dropped behind her. "Please be seated," she called, as one, the Skyknights sat in the rows of chairs lining the hall. At the back of the hall, Kite noticed technicians fiddling with the projector and a small triangular metal object. Confused and intrigued she turned her attention back to Tia as the woman began speaking, her bright white wings framing her dark oak coloured uniform, while her flame red hair, cascading down her shoulders, drew all eyes to her face.

"What you are about to see, is classified _**Top Secret**_ and is not to be shared outside of this room," she began, "Anyone who does, will be court martialled for disobeying a direct order." Kite noted the tense shoulders sweep the room at this news; everyone was paying attention now. "I must also warn you, the images you are about to see are… _disturbing_ , but it is necessary to bring you up to speed on the situation, as afterwards, you will all begin what is perhaps the most important mission in the history of our entire species."

More muttering swept the room, Cradrin leaned over to Kite, "This is big!" Kite's only reply was to nod again, a tense knot forming in her stomach

One of the technicians at the back, suddenly gave a thumbs up, Tia nodded in response before addressing the room again. "Commander Strike will now bring you up to speed," she stated, stepping aside, as the Commander took her place. His own dress uniform was neatly pressed, a sign of how seriously the top brass was taking this

Then the projector turned on, and every Skyknight in the room except Kite gasped and leaned back in their seats. For displayed in front of them, was a creature out of their nightmares, a scaled visage that, now Kite had the chance to study it anew, looked eerily similar to the old paintings and drawings of the evil spirits that it was said, swept through their world three centuries ago.

The Commander then spoke, "This is a Gorvan, they are a race of reptilians from beyond our world, possessing technology, _far_ superior to our own." The image now zoomed out, displaying the creature and the armour it wore in full, it also displayed more of them, standing on a flying transport, but which seemed to eschew the use of wings and could hover in place. Kite's wings twitched as she recognised the transport, memories of her mad flight through the forest replaying in her mind. The Commander's words dragged her from her memories, "It is our belief that these are the creatures responsible for the Vanished Fledglings, they come here every four years, to hunt our young, and take them away, to be used as livestock."

As Lightning spoke, the technicians fiddled with the projector, and suddenly, the image in front of them came to life

" _What about them, you going to let them leave?"_

The voice came from off screen, but the owner – who also seemed to be the source of the recording – glanced towards a group of young Telani as they spoke. Kite recognised Dove, Piper, Aerrow and Finn, all huddled in mid-air, as close as their flapping wings allowed, gazing fearfully at another transport full of Gorvans, and to everyone's shock a black-winged Telani that Kite recognised as Ace Krueger. Then the owner of the first voice turned back to the first transport, and the Gorvan that had originally been displayed, who now responded

" _And let perfectly good Livestock escape, of course not."_

The words were spoken in a bored, condescending manner, highlighted by the sneer on the slimy reptile's face. Kite felt her wings bristle with anger, and she could see that she wasn't the only one. Then the off-screen voice spoke once more

" _No deal!"_

A firearm appeared at the bottom of the screen, pointed at the Gorvan's head, before a shot rang out. Kite saw a few excited looks get dashed as the bullet was deflected by an armoured arm that shot out from behind one of the other Gorvan's in the shuttle. The playback was ended though, before it could go any further, the moment it did though, Skyknights throughout the hall were on their feet, hurling questions at the Commander. The hall was so overrun with noise that it was almost impossible to hear, until the Commander nodded to the Captain, who proceeded to blow an air-horn, silencing the entire hall

Tia broke the silence first, "Leave all questions till the end, and let the Commander finish."

Lightning nodded in thanks to his superior, before continuing, "The Gorvan who spoke is an individual named Lord Repton Corvax, a high noble in his people's social hierarchy, and is apparently a member of the Gorvan Royal family as well, being second in line for the throne." A quick wave of muttering swept through the hall at that, but quickly quieted as the Commander spoke again. "From this recording, it was later revealed, that according to his people's laws…" the Commander trailed off, looking to Tia, who merely gave a grim-faced nod. The Commander sighed, and ploughed on, "According to _their_ laws, he _owns_ Atmos, and everyone on it."

Silence, for several moments, nothing but silence, as Atmos' best, processed this revelation, even Kite hadn't known this, and she stared at Lightning, gobsmacked. Then the hall _erupted_ , everyone began shouting, some screaming, for several minutes, the room was consumed by noise and chaos, before the air-horn blew again, bringing silence once more

"Trust me, this fact makes me as angry as you, but there isn't a whole lot we can do about the situation at this time," Lightning stated. "As for the second voice, that belongs to another alien, a girl about the same age as those who departed on this year's Fledging. Her name is Lieutenant Lark Cyclonis of the United Nations of Earth, on the day this recording was taken, she did everything in her power to protect the Fledglings, but ultimately failed as she too was unaware of the previously stated fact, and she risked starting a war, between her people and the Gorvans."

A new scene was brought up, and began to play

" _What, no, we can't just abandon these kids, they need us!"_

As Lark spoke, she brought attention to a new figure, someone who looked a lot like how the Telani did, except he had no wings

" _Lieutenant, I won't ask again, get on board, NOW!"_

The white haired, wingless man barked

Repton then spoke

" _You heard him girl, run along now,"_

Kite felt her wings bristle at the mock, and it was clear this Lark felt the same way she did, given her next words

" _No, I'll die before I let you harm these kids!"_

As she spoke, a spherical object was lifted into her field of vision, and her thumb approached a threatening red button on its surface. Kite tensed, expecting to see all the people on screen be killed in an explosion, and no doubt the Fledglings too, who must have been behind Lark. Until the white-haired man gave a mighty roar

" _LARK FOR GOD'S SAKE, IT'S HIS PLANET!"_

A cold chill settled over the hall at those words, it was one thing to hear it from their Commander, quite another to hear it from a member of an alien species, and with such conviction. Kite could feel tears brimming in her eyes, but blinked them away furiously

The playback stopped there, and the Commander began to speak again, "After this information was revealed to her, Lark was forced to withdraw by her superior, and the recording ends there."

Suddenly a Skyknight near to the stage raised his hand, the Commander nodded to the knight, who began to speak, "Why was that Telani with the black wings helping the Gorvans?"

A muttering swept the room at that, all of it dark, Kite was fairly certain she heard the word ' _traitor_ ' once or twice. Then Lightning spoke, "While we have no proof of this, we believe that young Telani has had his mind twisted by the Gorvans, through something called indoctrination, along with… others," he glanced to Ren who looked away dejectedly, "Who were taken four years ago."

The first scene was brought back, right from where it left off. To Kite's shock, Starling appeared from behind the Gorvan next to Repton, standing now just in front of the scaled bastard. The only difference to her since the last time Kite saw her, was her wings. No longer bright vibrant purple, like her hair, they were now blood red, matching the armour she now wore, and her emerald eyes were hard and cold. From the speakers they heard Finn and Aerrow's voices, give words to their own thoughts

" _No way,"_

Lark's voice then quickly interjected

" _Dove, Piper, it's not her,"_

" _What are you talking about, of course it's her!"_

Kite saw Ren give a small wince at Piper's voice, a well of pity rose in her chest

" _No, it's not, she's not your sister anymore, she's been indoctrinated!"_

Came Lark's response, before the playback ended again, and Lightning continued. "We believe that the Gorvans use our people as slaves, doing whatever tasks they deem fit, and obviously, this _Lord Repton Corvax_ ," no one faulted the Commander for how he _spat_ the name. "Finds it amusing to use his slaves as hunting tools, even against their own species."

More dark muttering swept the room, but it was now all aimed at Repton, and what each and every Skyknight would like to do to the bastard if they caught him. Then a second knight raised his hand, and the commander nodded to him, "How did we come by this recording if Lark returned to her people?"

"Because she came back," Ren stated, from off to the side, everyone turning to him, "She came to me and my wife in our darkest hour, at the very bottom of the pit of despair we'd fallen into, and gave us hope again… along with that recording."

Lightning nodded, "That recording, combined with Lieutenant Kite's report," he gestured to where Kite was sitting, "Allowed us to finally unravel the mystery behind the Vanished Fledglings."

A few people glanced to Kite, looks of shock and awe gracing their faces

Another knight raised their hand, "What about Lieutenant Harrier, I heard he attacked Kite?"

The Commander nodded, "He did, we believe the Gorvans did something to him, altered his mind somehow, giving him subconscious orders to kill Kite no matter the cost. As such, he has been placed into a medically induced coma, and is under 24/7 surveillance."

Kite gave a small sigh of relief, _it's not his fault then, he's not in his right mind, it's all the Gorvan's doing… thank the Spirits_. Even as her relief flowed through her, a new question formed in her mind, she raised her hand

"Yes Kite?" the Commander asked

"How are we going to stop these Gorvans sir… and if possible, how are we getting all our little brothers and sisters back?"

Lightning now gave a grim smile, "Unfortunately, there's not a lot we can do for those already taken, they're beyond _our_ reach." At his words, the whole room seemed to slump, but then he spoke again, "However, it would seem Lark is one step ahead of you on that front. Before she left the Peregrine household, she informed Ren and his wife that she was going after Piper and the others, and that she would try to bring as many of them home as she could."

A wave of relief and joy swept the room at his words, once it had quieted down, Kite spoke again, "And how do we stop the Gorvans, sir?"

The Commander's smile, now became a smirk, "That Lieutenant, is why you are all here today." He nodded to the technicians, who once again fiddled with the projector, causing the screen to change to a Telani-eyed view of the City of Atmosia. As the Commander began laying out the details of the operation, Kite felt a surge of hope

 _We're still in this, we can still do something, and we will… time to show the Gorvans what we're made of_

* * *

 _The Jagged Claw, July 12_ _th_ _, 12:00pm_

Starling stood once more on the observation deck, this time, on the opposite side, staring back at the star of her home system. Once more, she was being taken away, this time, along with nearly one thousand new Telani prisoners, destined for the Gorvan slave market, only this time, _she'd_ helped the Gorvans to collect them. Among the new arrivals, was her own sister, her best friend, and various other young Telani that she'd grown up knowing. Her chest felt as cold as ice, her heart aching

 _This is wrong… I should be helping them escape… their my friends… my family… and I'm condemning them to life of servitude… to be mindless drones in the Gorvan Hegemony… to be used as little more than tools and objects for the rest of their lives… and when they're no longer useful… as food_

A shudder ran through her body, despite only being half indoctrinated, Starling knew that would be _her_ eventually fate as well, it was the fate of all slaves that belonged to the Hegemony

 _But in trade… Atmos is kept safe… by our sacrifice… our world… our people… our families can live… free and happy_

Starling thought of her parents, most likely stricken by grief from losing Piper, so soon after losing herself. She prayed that they would find a way to move on, but her heart felt otherwise, without hope or knowledge of their daughter's condition or whereabouts, they were far more likely to succumb to grief. Starling shook her head, vigorously, attempting to banish the image of her parent's gravestones from her mind. And yet, it hung there, accusingly

A ship-wide announcement broke her from her thoughts

" _Attention all hands, we will be entering hyperspace in five minutes, ensure all systems are in ready mode and report to your jump stations."_

Sighing, Starling turned away from the view, while technically she was not a crew member, she still respected protocol. Besides, the observation deck's windows were covered while in hyperspace, so there was no point in staying

* * *

Starling returned to her quarters on the slave decks, to find that Dove was waiting outside her door, she perked up as Starling approached. "Star- sorry, Red Hawk, your back," she said, standing and turning towards her, a hopeful look in her eyes

"Yes, I went up to the observation deck, one of my many privileges of being the Master's favourite," Starling replied, opening her door

Dove tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking nervous, "I don't suppose those privileges would allow me to come in… would it?"

Starling paused, doing a double take as she glanced back to Dove, "Huh?"

Dove now blushed, a light pink dusting her cheeks, "I mean, it's just been so long since we last talked."

Starling blinked, then looked away as guilt rose in her chest, "Why would you want to speak to me Dove… _I_ helped capture you."

Dove's blush vanished, and her voice became serious, "I know… but you were following orders… it's not like you _wanted_ to hurt me… right?"

Starling looked back, at the once again, hopeful, searching look, before sighing, "No Dove, I didn't, but disobeying Master Repton would have had dire consequences."

Dove now smiled, "Exactly… so… can we talk… just friends?"

Starling glanced at her, then up and down the hallway, before turning back, "Okay, but not for too long, after what happened on Atmos, I wouldn't be surprised if Master Repton is having me tracked to be on the safe side."

Dove nodded, but knew better than to respond, following Starling, into her quarters

Down the hall, Finn, Aerrow and Piper, glanced around the corner at the now closed door, "Looks like she bought it," Finn said

"Yea, now what?" Aerrow asked

"Now we wait, to see what Dove can learn… the better prepared we are for the main indoctrination process, the better we'll be able to tough it out," Piper answered

Finn and Aerrow glanced at one another, "You _really_ believe Lark is coming for us?" Finn questioned

"I _**know**_ she is," Piper replied, before turning and walking off

"Heh, where are you going?" Aerrow called

"Back to my room, if Starling is right and their tracking us, then we shouldn't remain congregated for extended periods of time, or they might get suspicious," Piper explained. "Just go and do something to kill time till Dove finishes, this may take a while."

The boys once again looked at each other, before Aerrow spoke, "Want to hit the gym, I feel like punching something." He didn't give Finn time to respond, before heading off in the other direction to Piper

"Yea, me… because they don't have any punching bags," Finn grumbled, before following his friend

* * *

Starling and Dove sat together on Starling's bed in silence for several moments, before Dove spoke. "You know… despite the circumstances… it's _great_ to see you again Star- Red Hawk."

Starling cast a suspicious look around the room, and at the door before shrugging, "If you want to Dove, you can call me Starling here, a little one off between friends isn't going to hurt."

Dove gave her a grateful look, before jumping straight in, "It's been lonely without you… I've missed you so much."

Starling smiled, "And I you," a thought then came to her, "How…" the words stuck in her throat, but she forced them out anyway, "How were my mom and dad, last time you saw them?"

"They're good, they miss you terribly, and they were really worried for Piper… for good reason I guess," Dove answered, unintentionally causing another stab of guilt to Starling's chest. Dove caught Starling's wince though and quickly moved on, "But I'm sure they'll be fine… Lightning will look out for them, and he's in the same boat as them now, and – I'm just making this worse, aren't I?"

Starling gave her one of her signature critical stares, by way of response

"Sorry," Dove finished

Starling sighed, "It's fine Dove, really… honestly… I do _hate_ this… I hate being forced to work for that bastard… but there's not a lot I can do about it… we're slaves now… if not Repton, it would be some other Gorvan… and I _might_ have been fully indoctrinated."

Dove now frowned, "Can you explain that… because that's been bugging me, what's the difference between you and say… 'Black Hawk'?"

Starling leant back on her hands, releasing another sigh, "I don't understand the process fully myself, but basically, the first step is to set up a rewards and punishment system. They do this by giving us tasks, one set they _know_ we'll do, for whatever reason, and they then reward us for it. The second, is one they _know_ we'll refuse to do, and so we get punished, so that we know exactly what happens. It's very simple, and primitive, but effective, for most Telani, that's really all it takes."

Dove raised a sceptical brow, "I'm serious," Starling continued, "Though it did take about a month or so for the lessons to solidify, the majority of our Fledging, was being sold as fully indoctrinated slaves, just a month and a half after we arrived on Bogaton."

"Trash talking your own species Starling… how low have you fallen?" Dove asked jokingly

Starling rolled her eyes, "Oh ha-ha, very funny… though, now that I say it… I suppose I _should_ say, most _slaves_ regardless of species, especially if their taken young, like _we_ are."

Dove had to admit, that seemed more plausible, she subtly shifted closer to Starling as she asked her next question. "But not all slaves break that easy?"

Starling nodded, "Yea, and Master Repton's Hunter Hawks are a prime example." Dove tilted her head in confusion here, so Starling continued, "Among the Gorvan slavers, great importance is placed on a Slaver's hunting team. Now before you ask, _no_ I don't mean the stalkers, those are just Gorvan's that individuals like Repton hire from the military to give them some muscle and manual labour on the ground. No, I'm talking about the Hunter Hawks, or the Targon Packs, or – and here's a good one – Suntai Catchers."

"A good hunting team reflects well on the Slaver who owns it, the better the team, the better the Slaver, meaning that slavers always look for the _highest_ quality slaves for their hunting teams. As Repton has _exclusive_ access to Atmos, he always gets first pick of Telani slaves, which means, he has the _best_ Hunter Hawk team in the entire Hegemony… of course, getting the best slaves, also means getting the strongest _willed_ slaves, so they require a little _added pressure_ to break."

As Starling spoke memories of her indoctrination arose in her mind again, and she couldn't suppress a shudder. "Starling, if you don't want to talk about this, we don't have too," Dove said, noticing her discomfort

"No, it's fine… I'm fine," Starling replied, she then went silent for a bit before looking up at the ceiling. "It's been four years, and yet the memories are as vivid as if they'd been yesterday," she started, "After the first stage, we moved on to the second, they beat us constantly, fed us the bare minimum amount of food, and gave us the minimum amount of water or sleep." Starling recalled those horrid weeks, watching her friends be tortured, of enduring it herself, not knowing what horrors each day would bring, only knowing it would be awful. "One by one, the others succumbed… becoming little more than lifeless husks, reacting only on basic instinct, and stimuli… after that, it was time for stage three."

Dove felt a chill creep down her spine as Starling spoke, but stayed strong, Piper believed Lark would come for them, and frankly, Dove could not fault Piper on her logic, even if the idea of Lark rescuing them from their captors sounded utterly _impossible_. So, she simply sat and listened, edging closer and closer to Starling as she did

"Stage three is what separates me from the others, technically, I never finished stage two… how it basically works is like this. Stage two breaks you down to your most primitive and basic functions, basically making you a child again… stage three, builds you back up, but in the way the _Gorvans_ want. As such, if a Gorvan told a fully indoctrinated slave to throw themselves off a cliff, or to space themselves, they wouldn't hesitate, question, they wouldn't even bat an eye at the order, they'd just immediately _do it_."

Dove stared at her, open mouthed, "What… why!?"

"Because they've been indoctrinated to believe, that whatever a Gorvan orders them to do, _must_ be obeyed no matter what, to a fully indoctrinated slave, a Gorvan's order, is like the word of the gods themselves," Starling explained

Dove's face contorted in horror at the implications, then she frowned, "But not you?"

Starling shook her head, "Master Repton believed full indoctrination would dull me, and considering it does have some, unintended side effects on the psyche of the individual being indoctrinated, I can see why Repton believed my abilities would suffer because of it." As she spoke, she remembered the day she had finally kneeled to Repton, swearing her loyalty, for the rest of her life. "The general method can be likened to a sledgehammer, strong, effective, but blunt… its advantage is that it can work for large numbers with incredible efficiency… but the final product might not be as good a quality as it could be."

"By contrast, the method Repton used with me, was more experimental, and can be likened to a scalpel, precise, and meticulous… it allows for higher quality, but is riskier, and _has_ to be performed one on one, which makes it costly, particularly for large numbers." Starling sat up straighter now, and looked down at her feet, "Honestly, I think I'm a test bed, for a new custom service… high paying customers get to order a slave, set to _specific details_ … Master Repton would certainly make a _killing_ out of it."

Dove stared at her friend, examining her eyes, the way her facial muscles clenched and relaxed as she spoke, all the little mannerisms that made Starling who she was. Then her eyes, drifted to her blood red wings, the colour so out of place

 _It's been four years, and we've both changed so much… but I wonder_

Dove was pulled from her thoughts by Starling's voice

"Okay you're turn, what has the great 'Dove Gale' been up to for the last four years?" she asked

Dove's blush returned full force, especially with how close they now were, though strangely, Starling hadn't seemed to notice

 _Or she has and isn't saying anything_

"Well, actually… I've kinda been following, _your_ path," Dove replied

Starling blinked, taken aback, before the pieces clicked, and her own blush appeared, heightened by noticing how close Dove had gotten. "Oh… really… well…" Starling trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, and trying to look anywhere but at Dove, a difficult task, considering only a few centimetres of air now separated them

"I meant what I said that night Starling," Dove said, "And my feelings have only grown since then."

* * *

 _4 years ago, outskirts of Atmosia, one week before the Fledging_

"Really, you're Pepe wants you to wait… that sucks!" Starling moaned, collapsing back on the blankets, laid out in their 'secret hideout', a small roughly built cabin that the two teens had built themselves, nestled in a crevice on a sheer vertical forested slope, the front door leading out to nothing but open air and the tops of trees, but providing a stunning view of Atmosia below

"Yea I know… I tried to talk some sense into him, but… then he mentioned my parents," Dove replied

Starling sat up on her elbows, purple wings splayed out to either side, "That's a _low_ blow."

Dove nodded, "I know… but still, he was on the edge of tears, practically _begging_ me not to go this year… so I finally agreed… I _can't_ leave him alone Starling… I just can't take the risk."

Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes as she spoke, Starling quickly got to her feet and sat next to her best friend in the whole wide world – besides her little sister that is – and put both an arm and wing around her. "Heh, it's okay, I understand, and it's your choice, you have _nothing_ to apologise for," Starling said, gently rocking back and forth as Dove sobbed into her shoulder

"And what about you?" Dove asked tearfully

"What about me?" Starling replied

Dove pulled away, looking her in the eyes, tears now gone, a serious look replacing them, "You're not still going this year… are you?"

Starling bit her lip and turned away, before sighing, "I _could_ wait… but then I miss the elite training signup, and they only take those in their mid to late teens… if I want to become the _best_ Skyknight in Atmos, then I _need_ to go _this_ year."

"And you're not at all worried about the risks?" Dove asked

Starling sighed and went and lay back down on the blankets, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't… but without knowing what's causing the disappearances, there's no way to be sure _what_ will happen, maybe… maybe this year will finally be the one where no one vanishes."

"And what if you're wrong?" Dove asked, fearfully, as she came and knelt next to her

Starling sat halfway up again, "Why does this matter to you so much, we've known we'd be going on a cursed year for years now… you've never been bothered by it before?"

Dove looked away, forest green wings shifting nervously, reminding Starling of leaves on a tree, blowing in the breeze. Not for the first time since Starling knew Dove, she thought her friend looked beautiful. Then Dove turned back, a nervous, almost terrified look in her light blue eyes, then she took a deep breath, her form steadying

"Because I thought we'd be going together… and I can't bear the thought of you going up against whatever is causing the disappearances alone, because… I…" Dove trailed off, her words stuttering

Starling was now fully sitting up, staring at Dove intently, curious as to what she was about to say. Dove however, couldn't seem to get past this block she was having, so finally, Starling opened her mouth to speak. Before she could get a word out however, Dove had lunged forward, and claimed Starling's lips. At first, Starling was shocked, stunned, she didn't know what to do, if she even _should_ do something, while she stared wide eyed at her friend. Dove's eyes, meanwhile, were closed in bliss. Having known each other since they were little, they'd always been friends, but it was only recently, in the last few months, that Dove had felt herself falling in love with Starling

Her heart would race a little faster, whenever Starling was near, Dove would feel her cheeks flush, whenever they made eye contact, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't take her mind off her. Dove had dreamed of kissing Starling for months, had fantasied about being wrapped in each other's wings, as their lips and tongues danced, of running her hands through Starlings violet locks, always so perfect and silky soft

Finally, Dove withdrew, parting just enough to look into Starling's startled emerald orbs, though she had known this would be a longshot, she decided, to add just one last push. "I love you Starling… I have for months now… and I couldn't bear to lose you… I just wanted you to know that before…"

Dove was cut off, as this time, Starling lunged, their lips crashing back together. In truth, it was just mere contact, but it was even more blissful than the first one, and though their wings remained at their sides, Starling pulled Dove as close as possible, wrapping her arms around her, to which Dove reciprocated. When they were finally forced apart for breath, Starling spoke, "You talk to much," before going back in for more

* * *

 _Jagged Claw, present day_

Starling blinked, her eyes stinging from tears, she'd forgotten that memory, convinced herself that she was never going to see Dove again, and so had forced it from her mind. Now though it came crashing back, and Dove's closeness, caused Starling's eyes to wander to her lips

Dove gave her a small smile, "I never did get an answer from you… about actually forming a relationship?"

Starling licked her lips nervously, _oh how to explain_. Finally, Starling took a calming breath, forcing the thoughts about what she _so_ desperately wanted to do with Dove from her mind. "Look Dove, it's not that my _own_ feelings have changed, but our _circumstances_ have," she began

Dove looked at her quizzically, "What do you mean?"

Starling sighed, "The Gorvan's are _staunchly_ against, same sex relationships, of _any_ kind, particularly between slaves that they might want to breed." At Dove's look of disgust, Starling quickly continued, "No not them, they pair us with males of our own species, and they only do so with the best slaves they have, and even use selective breeding in the process too."

Dove's look of disgust did not diminish much "That's… that's…"

Starling chuckled, "Trust me, I was exactly the same when I found out… of course, for the fully indoctrinated slaves, they don't question it."

"THAT JUST MAKES IT WORSE!" Dove exclaimed, then her face blanked as a thought popped into her head. "Wait… Starling, have you?"

Starling caught on immediately, and instantly her blush returned full force, "What, no, no no no no."

Dove breathed a sigh of relief, then another question came to mind, " _Will_ Repton breed you? And if so, with who?"

Starling caught the fearful look Dove gave her as she asked, sighing, Starling replied, "In all likelihood… yes… I' am his best, so it makes sense he'd do it eventually, as to whom?" Starling trailed off, thinking of all the Telani male slaves she knew of, "That's more difficult to say… but Master Repton will most likely pick someone that would ensure our offspring are genetically healthy, and stronger, faster and more loyal than any other slave."

Dove felt like throwing up, "Piper was right, they treat us like livestock, to be trained, bought and sold, and even bred, all to serve the Gorvan Hegemony." As she spoke, her wings sagged onto the bed

Starling gave her a wry smile, "Sorry this didn't work out the way you hoped."

Dove waved her hand, "It's okay, it's been four years… I just… really… really wanted there to still be…" but she was cut off again, as Starling's lips made brief contact with hers

"Again… you talk too much," Starling said smiling

Dove stared at her flabbergasted, "But… I thought you said?"

"I said we _can't_ because Master Repton will never let us… I never said I didn't _want_ a relationship

Dove's heart soared, _she loves me, she really loves me!_

Starling then glanced at her bedside clock, noticing how long they'd been chatting, "You should probably make a move before the trackers start to wonder why your spending so long in my room."

Dove nodded despondently, then glanced up at Starling, "We can still chat right?"

Smiling, Starling nodded, "Of course, no harm in that."

Dove smiled, "Well, in that case," she quickly dove in and stole a sneaky peck on the cheek, "See you round the ship."

With that, Dove stood up, and practically skipped out the door

After she left, Starling lay back on the bed, lost in thought

 _What am I doing...? the more attached I get, the worse it'll be when the torture starts_

But Starling couldn't help it, the memory from that cabin, a week before her Fledging, swirled round and round in her mind. One last night of bliss, before four years of misery. A part of Starling had convinced herself that being taken by the Gorvans was punishment from the Spirits, for even _entertaining_ the idea of a relationship with Dove. Despite that though, Starling could not feel bad about it, now the memory had been resurrected, everything had just felt so _right_ , being in Dove's arms, their lips pressed together. Starling gave a small moan of satisfaction as she remembered that night, and their small duck back into passion, just a few minutes ago

 _What do I do…? I can't disobey Master Repton, or Atmos will suffer… but if I just sit back… Pi-Blue Bird, Leaf Wing, Crimson Wing and White Hawk, will be tortured… like I was…_

Guilt and fear had begun an all-out war inside her mind, her guilt berated her for doing nothing, her fear reminded her of what would happen if she tried to intervene. She placed an arm over her eyes

 _Lark, please… if you really are coming… please save them… take them away from here… and find a way to stop Repton from ever going back to Atmos… please… even if it means you must leave me behind_

* * *

 _Jagged Claw, Repton's quarters_

Dr Kylaphira passed her hand across the door sensor, announcing her arrival to the occupant inside, she always hated, this part of her job, but it was necessary. The door swiftly opened, admitting her, and she just as swiftly, entered, wanting to just get this over with. Lord Repton Corvax was reclining on his couch, reading through reports from the other ships, he glanced up as she entered, before returning his attention to the reports

"Ah, Dr Kylaphira, good, I need you're report on the medical examination," he stated

Kylaphira steeled herself, _it's no good lying to him_ , "Yes sir, I've completed my work, my apologies for taking longer than normal, but there were some… anomalies."

Repton paused, now giving her his full attention, "What sort of, _anomalies_?"

Kylaphira, pulled out a specific file, placing the rest on the table in front of Repton, linking the file to Repton's holographic system, and opening it. "It's Blue Bird, I ran her blood test, and everything seemed normal at first, but…"

"But what?"

"I detected some irregularities in her blood… nothing to be concerned about, she's in perfect health… they were just… confusing." As she spoke, she brought up what she'd found for Repton to view himself

Repton studied the data, a doctor he was not, but he wasn't stupid or ill-educated in any sense of the words. "What do you think is the cause?" he asked

"I can't be sure sir, I'd need to run further tests, a full body scan with a proper scanner to start…" at Repton's sceptical look she explained hurriedly, "I need to take a look inside her bone marrow, where the red blood cells are formed, I can't do that with a handheld scanner."

Repton sat back tiredly, "And how much will that eat into our budget?"

Here, Kylaphira perked up, "Actually sir, we're underspent, the girls were very well behaved during their examination and didn't require any of the drugs we had on standby to settle them… boys were pretty good too, only a few got uppity, but they were handled by the guards."

Repton sat thoughtfully for a moment, before nodding "Alright then, go ahead, but I want to know the results the moment you have them."

"Of course, sir," Kylaphira replied, bowing and handing him the copy of Blue Bird's medical exam, before leaving

Repton watched her leave, tail swishing along the floor behind him, he'd recruited the Dr because she was the _best_ in her field, not because of her personal beliefs, he understood that she _hated_ working for him. "She'll crack one day, she'll try something stupid, and on that day… she'll wish she'd never been born."

There was nothing, Repton hated more, than a Xeno-lover

* * *

 _Jagged Claw, Medical Bay_

When Piper had heard her name over the speakers, her blood both boiled, and turned to ice. One part of her mind had been like, _my name is PIPER you bastards!_

While the other was, _have I been found out… what do they want now?_

When she arrived, it was to find the same doctor from the medical exams waiting for her, blue scales glinting from the overhead lights. She turned and smiled at Piper as she walked in, "Ah, Blue Bird, there you are."

Piper's wings twitched at the name, but beyond that showed no outward response to it, "What's up doc?" Piper asked, before chomping into a crunchy fruit she'd brought up from the mess hall – her Focus told her it was an Apple

"Just a follow up test, there are some things I need to check," Kylaphira replied, before stepping up close and holding her hand out. "I'm afraid you'll have to remove your _jewellery_ before we begin."

Piper frowned at her, confused, before the Dr indicated her right temple. Piper's eyes widened, but before she could get a word in, the Dr interrupted her. "It's okay," she whispered, "I'm just worried about it being discovered or shorted out," in a louder voice she said, "You can have it back at the end, okay."

Piper nodded, and deftly removed the Focus, and palmed it into the Dr's hand, where she then proceeded to pocket it. "Good, let's get started then, this way," she declared, guiding Piper to a second door on the other side of the room, through which, waited what Piper could only guess, was the Gorvan version of an MRI scanner. Piper's heart rate increased as the possibilities of what she'd been called here for raced through her mind. Nevertheless, she didn't resist the Dr as she was prepped and guided into the scanner, wings folded flat underneath her

"Okay, now just hold still, this will be over with in a just a few minutes," the Dr said

It occurred to Piper, that it was strange she didn't know the Dr's name, so as she lay there, she decided to ask, "Heh, you know my name, but what's yours."

The Dr was clearly not expecting this, but answered any way, "Dr Kylaphira, of the Phira Clan."

Piper smiled, "Nice to meet you Kyla."

Kylaphira smiled back, before her instrumentation beeped at her, she looked back down, examining her screens. "Wait… this can't be right?"

Piper felt a stab of nerves hit her again, "Everything okay?"

Kylaphira seemed not to hear her, as she frantically checked and re-checked her data, what she was seeing was _impossible_. "Please just lie still, I'm running the scan again," she said. Piper obeyed, her heart thumping as the thought of what could have the doctor so shaken, passed through her mind. After a second run, Kylaphira checked her data, it was the same, the readings were the same. Cold dread began to fill her

 _If Repton learns this, he'll kill Blue Bird… I can't… I can't let that happen… but if he finds out I lied to him…_

Kylaphira began pacing, running a hand over her scalp scales, Piper watched her, concerned, both for herself, and the doctor. Finally, she spoke, "Dr Kylaphira?" the Dr's head snapped up at the sound of her name, "What's wrong?"

Kylaphira, looked at Piper, then glanced at the door, and quickly locked it, before pulling out a small scrambler, so they couldn't be overheard by any mechanical equipment. Then she approached Piper, "Blu-Piper… I need you to answer a question for me… answer it as honestly as you can, and leave no detail out… understand?"

"Sure, no problem," Piper replied, stunned that the Dr was using her real name

"Okay," Kylaphira said, taking a breath, "When your mother was pregnant with you… did she have any kind of accident… was she exposed to anything?"

Piper frowned, not understanding a word she was saying, "I don't think so… I never asked… and they never told me… why… what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Kylaphira said, a little too quickly, before regathering herself and starting again, "Nothing at all… it's just…" she trailed off, unsure how to explain. As she grappled with how to tell her however, a thought came to mind

 _Ignorance is bliss, after all… if she doesn't know… then she's unlikely to spill the beans herself… which means all I have to do, is make sure Repton never finds out_

Finally, she came to a decision, "It's nothing Piper, you're fine," she said, deftly handing back the Focus. "Just, go on back to your quarters and pretend this never happened."

"What… why can't you tell me… what did you see… what…" Piper began, but was cut off when Kylaphira placed one scaled finger on her lips

"Piper, you _need_ to trust me, and _forget_ about this… for your own safety, as well as mine."

Piper's eyes widened at her statement, the gears in her head turning, _what could she have possibly found that would put me in such danger, and yet isn't a direct threat to me?_

* * *

 _Freelance Vessel Normandy, July 24_ _th_ _,01:00 pm_

Lark stared down her opponent, eyes hard and focussed, her opponent stared back, equally as hard and focussed. Then, in a burst of speed, she was moving, rushing her opponent, who moved to block her attack, but it was a feint, she swerved around her opponent's defences, and got behind them, delivering precise and accurate blows. Her opponent hit the mat before they even knew what hit them

"Ouch…" Junko groaned, staring up at Lark

"Heh, sorry Junko… but you _did_ say not to take it easy," she said, as she extended a hand to help him up

"Yea, my bad…" Junko groaned

"You both did very well, despite being clearly outmatched, Junko lasted well over an hour in the ring with you," Thane declared, "Far longer than anyone else at any rate." As he spoke, he looked around the training area, set up in the open space of the cargo hold/armoury. Various members of the crew littered the edges of the training area, all bruised and battered and being tended to by Dr Chakwas, James Vega among them

Suzy Lu, Radarr, Jack, Garrus, Stork, Kasumi, Legion and Liara all sat off to one side, observing the proceedings… well, they _had_ been merely watching… then they'd started taking bets. Lark couldn't help but smile as Suzy collected her winnings, with Radarr doing the Kankan on her shoulder

"I see things are going well down here," came Shepard's voice as she left the elevator

"Indeed Commander," Chakwas replied, "But might I suggest we tone down the training a notch, or we'll run out of medical supplies before we reach Bogaton."

Shepard chuckled as Lark gave a sheepish look, "Duly noted," She then turned to Thane, "How's she doing?"

Thane finished his sip of tea, from where he sat in meditation, on the opposite side to the spectators, "She's improved considerably over a short space of time, the moment she was recovered she completely threw herself into the training, leaving only time to eat, sleep and wash… true dedication."

Lark blushed as Shepard turned to Garrus, "Still a few rough edges to work out, she'll never be an expert marksman like you or me Shep, but she has the talent to be a _true_ professional." Lark's blush intensified

Shepard nodded in satisfaction, "Alright then, looks like you've caught up to our level," she now nodded to Vega, "As Exhibit A testifies."

As Lark tried to stifle a giggle, James glared up at his Commander, moving to sit up, before pain erupted in his lower regions, and he collapsed back down, "Argh… MORE ICE!"

The entire room burst out laughing at that, while Chakwas tended to her patient. Once the mirth had died down, Shepard put on her business face, "Okay everyone, listen up, we're about to enter Hegemony territory, it'll still take us a couple weeks to get to Bogaton, but I want us to be prepared for anything." Everyone nodded, that was something Lark had learned in the last couple weeks she'd been on this ship. Despite a relaxed comradery, between the crew, they were _all_ professionals. "So, I want everyone to check their equipment and gear, as well make sure the _Normandy_ is in tip top shape," she glanced at Lark here, "Something tells me this mission is going to be a rough one."

No one argued, and after helping the battered and bruised crew to their stations, everyone went about their work. Lark was about to join them, when Shepard stopped her. "You've done well, and you held up you're end of the deal… Thane says you have a calm and focussed centre now."

Lark caught on instantly, "I still need to work at it, both Jack and James still get me riled up too easy… that's partly why he was clutching his groin earlier," at the last part, Lark sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck

Shepard chuckled, "Well regardless… he thinks your ready to start learning."

Lark's gaze snapped to Shepard, eyes wide, "You mean?"

Shepard nodded, "We did have a deal… but I warn you… what you are about to learn is _dangerous_ even to the most skilled Biotics… _**if**_ you successfully learn it, then I want you to _**only**_ use it in _**emergencies**_ … understood?"

Lark nodded, not trusting her voice right now

"Good, then let's begin."

The next couple of hours were spent pushing Lark's biotic limits, it quickly became obvious to Lark that, despite the raw power she herself possessed, she had no where _near_ Shepard's level of experience. As they duelled, Shepard's inventive and creative moves, constantly left Lark reeling, and falling to the mat. Finally, after an hour of practice, Shepard called time

"That was good… but you're right, your focus does need more work, keep up the meditation," she said, as she helped Lark to her feet

"And what about Biotic lightning?" Lark asked, "You haven't shown me anything about that yet?"

Here Shepard chuckled, "Because I can't do Biotic lightning… believe me I've tried, but…" she trailed off

"But what?"

Shepard shook her head, dislodging old memories, "It's nothing… but I _do_ know a technique _related_ to biotic lightning, that might come in handy, and it will teach you more about how it works.

Lark beamed, her eagerness overflowing, and was instantly paying attention

"Okay, this technique is all about the flow of energy," Shepard explained, taking a wide stance with her legs, and pointing one arm up and away from her body. "Imagine energy connecting with your hand, before flowing down your arm," Shepard used her other hand to track the route she was describing, "Then, let the energy pool down in your stomach… this is important, because if you let the energy pass through your chest, it could damage your heart, or lungs." Lark nodded, following Shepard's actions, moving the tracing hand from her right shoulder, down to her stomach. "Then, you expel the energy, up and out your other arm," Shepard now took her tracing hand, and pointed it out in the same fashion as the other arm had been

Lark did the same, "Good… now repeat."

"What?" Lark asked, confused

"Now repeat, and imagine energy, flowing from one hand, down into your stomach, and then back out the other," Shepard said, putting the whole move together in one fluid motion. "Energy is flowing through your body, you are its conduit, its humble guide," Shepard repeated the motion one more time, and then gestured for Lark to do the same

Lark felt incredibly silly doing this, but did so all the same, soon she had a rhythm going, and Shepard nodded in satisfaction. "Good, keep that up… I'll send someone down to fetch you for dinner," and with that, she began walking towards the elevator

"Heh, wait a minute!" Lark called

"Don't let her out of this room EDI," Shepard called, as the elevator doors closed on Lark

"Aye aye Commander," came EDI's chuckling response

* * *

A couple hours later found Lark still running through the technique, when Suzy Lu and Radarr appeared. "Still going at it eh?" Suzy asked, smiling

"Shepard's idea," Lark grumbled

"Yea, that sounds like her eh," Suzy chuckled, as Lark continued with her exercise, "Ya know you can stop now eh… it is dinner time after all."

At those words, Lark collapsed to her knees, "Thank god!"

Suzy couldn't supress a smile, before turning and heading for the elevator, she only got about halfway there when Lark called out to her, "Erm, Suzy, a little help here please."

* * *

After dinner, Shepard got everyone's attention. "Okay everyone, it's game plan time," her words instantly had everyone on alert, they'd already run through inventory, so Shepard now turned to Lark. "You want to start us off Lark?"

Lark nodded, and placed her Focus on the table, pulling up her tracking program, which instantly displayed a jagged and mean looking ship. "This is the _Jagged Claw_ , it's Repton's flag ship, and currently the ship containing my friend Piper, who has the Focus we're tracking."

"This is most fortuitous," EDI said, "Dense nebula in this region of the galaxy has made in difficult for anyone in Council space to map the core worlds of the Hegemony."

"Exactly," Lark stated, "With this, we'll finally know the exact location of Bogaton, and will also be able to track Piper and the others anywhere on its surface."

"That's all well and good Lola," James began, "but how do we even get planet side, the Hegemony will shoot us out of the sky the moment they spot us, and our stealth systems won't get us past the Imperial Armada, which according to rumour, blockades the system when they're not at war."

"We could disguise the ship… it's not like we haven't done it before," Kasumi offered

"Oooh, I get to play dress up," EDI sing songed

"Actually, that's just what I had in mind," Lark agreed, "But not just any disguise." She now brought up a hologram of the _Normandy_ , as it currently was, then she pressed a few keys, and the colour scheme and heraldry changed, to that of the Commonwealth of Man

Shepard whistled, "Okay, now _that's_ devious."

"Is it?" Liara asked, "Don't Gorvans hate all humans, regardless of where they're from?"

"Oh, they do," Garrus answered, "But here's the thing, the Commonwealth hate the UNE, almost as much as the Hegemony does, plus their _not_ direct neighbours, like both are with the UNE."

"Both the Commonwealth and the Hegemony see each other as mutual allies at the moment against the UNE," Suzy added, "They're not _official_ allies yet… but the _do_ tolerate one another."

Lark nodded, "Exactly."

"I have identified a problem with this plan," Legion announced, "This is a multiracial ship, with a non-human Commander, it is unlikely the Gorvans will believe we are a Commonwealth ship, when the Commonwealth is incredibly xenophobic."

"The tin can raises a good point," Jack noted

"Already thought of it," Lark countered, as she brought up phoney crew dossiers

"When did you have the time to make these?" Thane asked, eyebrow raised suspiciously

Lark gave him a conspiratorial smile, "A magician _never_ reveals her secrets." Thane looked at her perplexed, but before he could pursue that further, Lark turned to Shepard. "So let's get this out of the way first… Shepard here is a rouge Togrutan warrior, who has defied custom and tradition and become a gun for hire… she wound up getting caught by the Commonwealth, but impressed them so much that they convinced her to work for them… her personality is as xenophobic as they come, which is one of the reasons the Commonwealth like her so much… all of the aliens in her crew are slaves or outcasts of some sort."

This led Lark to Garrus and Thane, "Not much change is needed for either of you two, Thane already has a dark past, and Garrus has the persona of Archangel, that we can use to paint you two as Shepard's right-hand killers and assassins." She now moved on to Liara, Suzy and Stork, "Slaves, pure and simple, you were picked up by the crew, and were only spared because of your unique talents, you work aboard this ship just to stay alive. Junko was next on the list, "As for you Junko, again, little change needed, Shepard found you and decided to turn you into her own personal wrecking ball."

Junko winced a bit at that description, but didn't argue it, "As for the rest of the crew, convincing Commonwealth dossiers should do nicely. A misfit ship that the Commonwealth uses like a terror weapon, and the mixed-race crew means they can just throw it under the bus if things go south."

"Like a suicide squad," Traynor supplied

Lark beamed, "Exactly."

Everyone looked around the table, all of them too stunned for words, finally, Joker broke the silence, "That… might just work… as crazy as it sounds… it might just _work_."

A murmur of agreement swept the table, "Okay," Shepard began, "Assuming we get onto Bogaton, what next?"

Liara spoke first here, "Recon should be our first priority."

"Agreed," Garrus said, nodding, "I don't want to go into a firefight blind."

"I already have something for that," Lark answered, once again, all eyes were on her. "Since _neither_ the Commonwealth or the Hegemony are that big on robots, we can't exactly have Legion or EDI giving the game away… no offense guys."

"None taken," both EDI and Legion said simultaneously

Lark nodded, "So EDI will need to pose as a VI until we're ready to move."

"That's not a problem," EDI replied

"Meanwhile we pack Legion into a crate, and offload him somewhere, he can infiltrate Repton's compound at the Slave Markets," Lark finished

"An inside man, interesting," Thane mused

"A plan with a high probability of success, as this unit is capable of fitting into nearly any sized container," Legion stated

Lark nodded, "With Legion gathering intel for us from the inside, we can formulate exactly how to break into the compound, grab as many of the Telani as we can, and get the hell out of there."

Shepard examined the whole thing, it was a solid well thought out plan, and they had two weeks to sort out the nitty gritty details, and possibly a day or two once they were actually on Bogaton. She looked up at Lark, "You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Lark replied

Shepard smiled at that, before nodding, "Alright, looks like we have our basic game plan, we'll iron out the details on the trip… Liara I want you and EDI to drum up some dossiers for the crew… in the meantime, we'll find a nice quiet spot where we can give the _Normandy_ a paint job."

"Sounds like a plan Commander," James declared

"Indeed it does Vega… now let's get to work people."

* * *

 _Atmosia City outskirts, July 26_ _th_ _, 04:00 pm_

Kite landed gracefully on the large rock outcropping that overlooked the edge of the city. The Skyknights had been searching around the city's perimeter for two and half weeks now… so far, nothing. However, that was mainly because the main dig crews had only worked a small percentage of the city's outer limits. Kite had joined them after the first week, and had been placed on scouting crew, their job was to look for possible sites, anywhere they might think a hidden base might be located… there was a _lot_ of ground to cover, but no one wanted to give up, if there really _was_ a base out here… it could change everything

Kite's radio suddenly buzzed

" _Kite, this Cradrin, come in, over."_

Kite swiftly answered, "Kite here, over."

" _Found anything yet? Over."_

Kite sighed as she strolled along the top of the outcropping, "Nothing yet, how about you, over."

" _Nothing… I'm beginning to wonder if this was a wild goose chase from the start, and I'm not the only one, over."_

Kite could hear the logic in his words, but at the same time, she refused to give up

 _Those kids were_ _ **my**_ _responsibility, and I let them down… never again_

Suddenly, her toe caught on something, causing her to almost trip over, before she righted herself with her arms and wings… didn't stop her from swearing though

" _Kite, you okay? Over."_

"Yea I'm fine, just tripped on… something…" Kite trailed off as she looked at her feet, and what she'd tripped over. There directly in front of her, was a perfectly circular stone, sitting on the surface of the outcropping

 _No, not sitting…_ _ **sticking out of!**_

Cradrin's voice interrupted her train of thought, " _Kite, you still there? Over."_

"One second Cradrin," Kite replied, before hanging up her radio, and kneeling next to the circular stone. It was only barely sticking out of the surface, and if it hadn't been at all, it would have created a perfectly smooth surface, devoid of definition. Kite's blood pounded in her ears, as she grasped what she could of the edge and heaved. At first, it felt like she was getting nowhere, but then, the stone began to move, upwards, slowly at first, and then, to Kite's astonishment… on its own. Kite stared at the now upright rock, standing on top of the outcropping, on its edge, before looking down, at the hole she had just revealed. It was big enough for a person to climb in and out of, and there was even a ladder down the sides of the hole to what looked like a chamber at the very bottom

Kite's hands were shaking as she brought the radio shakily up again, flicking it to all channels as she did. "This is Kite, I'm due north east of the city, a couple miles beyond the city limits, I'll be firing a flare to mark my location, over."

Lightning's voice suddenly burst onto the radio, _"Kite, what is it, what have you found?"_

"The motherload," Kite replied, before pulling out her flare gun, and shooting it into the sky

* * *

 **And that's a wrap for today, sorry if this was a little long for some people, but I'm trying not to do multiple part chapters in this one. Things are starting to heat up, and next chapter will be our long, Long, LONG awaited arrival to Bogaton**

 **Get ready for some uncomfortable scenes**

 **Let me know what you guys thought, as always constructive criticism is more than welcome, and I will see you guys all next time**


End file.
